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It was late in the afternoon. The sandwich shop was almost empty. There were two men in the booth behind me engrossed in a conversation. They we talking about boxing. It was obvious that the more vocal one was a boxing coach or else an older, experienced boxer. He was giving the younger man instructions about how to handle himself in an upcoming fight. The concern was that the young boxer learn how to conserve his strength so he could go the full distance of the fight. "Now remember," said the coach, "don't swing at the air. It takes your strength away." "Takes your strength away," the younger repeated. "Don't swing at the air," he said again. And the other repeated it back as if it were a mantra. "Takes your strength away." As I ate my sandwich and listened, I couldn't help but dwell on the words of Paul's words to the Corinthians. "I do not fight like a man beating the air." So much of our lives is spent swinging at the air. We don't take the time to focus on what good we can really do in a situation. Instead, we swing off in a dozen different directions never really advancing the cause of goodness or love, never landing a punch that counts. We can get so frantic trying to accomplish so much, juggle so many schedules, always in a rush, but we never seem able to put all our energies into something that will really count, really last, really conquer evil. As the rounds go by, the months pass, it is no wonder that we get exhausted. I think the old boxing coach's advice is something worth heeding. To regain strength and energy, we need to regain our focus, aim better, take fewer, more deliberate punches, and rely on the power of the One who is within us to give us what we need to go the full distance. The boxing coach knew the young boxer was going to face a real adversary, but then aren't we all? The scripture reminds us that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare in this life. The key to going the distance is to stop swinging at the air. If we can find our focus and reach toward what God would want of us in every round we are given, we will discover that we are able to go the full distance.--H.S. |