THE WARRIOR WITHIN
In the face of
opposition or difficult circumstances, we could be tempted by the enemy of our
souls to doubt the goodness, greatness and sovereignty of God. During
moments like these, we would do well to reflect on one of the most powerful
directives in the Holy Writ: “Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on
eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (I Timothy 6:12)
Kiplimo Chemirmir, a
Kenyan warrior, is convinced that there is an awesome and untapped power that
resides within each of us. Prayerfully consider his courageous words:
Tough people dare
when others doubt. Believe in yourself for the walls around you do not
define the will within you. See everything that you face in life as a
test; face it because your heart wants what’s beyond it. Embrace your results
and never give less than what you expect, and always remember that in your
own way you are powerful. You can
do it, and you are a champion.
In my tribe we
believe that beneath our skin stands a warrior. Our ultimate
belief is that there’s a shield and spear that is grasped by the warrior within
us, which must always hang on the wall of our hearts. We can only use
them to protect ourselves and never hurt anyone in any way at all; to fight
bravely but only for peace and victory that builds our lives from poverty and
all that weakens us.
We must hunt for our
goals and never cry when we are wounded by failure or disappointments.
Be brave and never forget to be wise with your strength because your
greatest enemy is yourself, so make sure that the choices you make in life will
not make you dig your own grave.
Never use that spear
to beat or hurt yourself, nor use the shield to hide from your battles.
Use it for its purpose and for what is right. Always fight a good
fight when life brings you challenges, for sometimes life is a beast
that must be tamed. And, if this beast bring troubles that are mightier
than your strength, remember a wise warrior listens keenly to those who advise
him, but he never lets anyone decide for him.
You are the maker
of your own destiny. Fighting is in your spirit, valor is in
your heart, endurance is in your blood – and this is why you
must always believe in yourself, for deep within you stands a warrior who
cannot be defeated.
You were born to be
a warrior and this you will always will be; this is your birthright and you
must not deny it. So do not fail yourself because of fear, nor whatever
is standing before you; the victorious fighter within will define you.
So fight back.
Strive for a better life, strive for peace, strive to become all you can
be and never settle, for in life we are growing and always moving
forward. All is possible if you do not run away and always believe
tenaciously in yourself.
In our tribe, I have
become a warrior who is destined to be an elder. A boy must go through a
gruesome rite of passage; for me, it will take a book to write them
all down, but the last day was the highlight of it.
I was fourteen years
old when my time came. The last week of the gruesome month of December
was when I had to face a lion to complete the passage. I remember that
day like it was one second ago, standing breathless with my spear, a dagger on
my hip, a quiver with twenty tranquilizing arrows hanging tightly on my back.
My bow fell
somewhere while stalking the lion. The lion turned back roaring
and staring at me with fiery eyes that would pierce the soul of its
prey. Even lightning and thunder could never make my heart stop like in
that moment. But being there was not about courage; it was about destiny.
What made me stand
strong and ready to charge is who I am, told by my elders and a powerful voice
inside me. I grew up being taught to believe in the warrior within.
It is hope, courage, strength and all that shapes a man to bring out his
best, to rely on who he truly is, to triumph no matter the circumstances.
On that glorious
day, the way the lion stared at me, I saw him as he saw me. I could see a
slice of fear on his face, which made me even braver. I was only a young
boy at that moment but I did not feel like I was a boy, or young, or weak or
anything less. I felt the spirit of
the warrior breathing within, declaring “Today I will conquer
the lion and I will roar through all the rest of my days!”
To this day defeat
or failure never hurts because if I let them control me, I will be betraying
the warrior’s path that I grew up following. My friend, you are alive,
just like the lion, you must never stop hunting. But just like
the warrior, you must never stop conquering and believing in the God who
resides within.
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