The Good Fight

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Do you know your “why”? 
Do you have a clarity of mission? 
Does your motivation consist of more than just making money? 

The Good Fight

In tough economic times, individuals and businesses can be distracted and drawn away through temptation from their primary purpose and mission, and even give up on their assignment altogether. Why continue when the forecast looks bleak, or when you are facing rising unemployment, negative growth, market failure, decreased sales revenue, etc.?

If you started your business solely to make money, or if your business model is purely transactional and lacks the passion to go with your products or services that meet clear needs in people’s lives, then you will not survive tough economic times. The question you must ask yourself is, “Why are you doing this?”

Is there a higher purpose other than just making money? Are you engaged in “the good fight?”

Life is a fight. No matter what you are doing, you are either fighting for something or against something. You just have to make sure that you are fighting for the right reasons and against the right enemy. “The good fight” referred to in 1 Timothy 6:12 is the fight of faith, and it refers to making a righteous stand for Christianity in the midst of a world that is filled with the works and strategies of darkness that battle for the souls and destinies of humanity. This battle is waged on many fronts – one of them being in the marketplace, through the vehicle of commerce.

If an army goes to war for the treasures of victory alone and the joy of destroying the enemy, they will not be motivated to remain inspired to keep fighting during the difficult phases of the war.  However, if their cause is just and their mission is greater than themselves, no matter how difficult the war or how tough the enemy, they will be prepared to die for what they are fighting for. The magnitude of the mission and the selflessness of the purpose are great motivators.

Reflect on the foundational reasons that caused you to go into business. Review your purpose and mission, make sure that your business exists for eternal reasons that advance the Kingdom of God, and if necessary, re-align your daily activities with your purpose and mission. 

Those who engage in “the good fight” cannot lose. The fight was already won at Calvary by our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ. The battle is not ours – it is the Lord’s. Remember, we fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and rulers in high places (Ephesians 6:12). 

The question is – What, or who, are you fighting for? 

Make sure you are fighting “the good fight.”

My prayer for you is that God will grant you the grace and the strength to fight the good fight, so you may achieve the victory that was preordained for you before the foundation of the world.