Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Size of the Fight
My favorite dog breed is the Boston Terrier; I’ve owned four of these adorable spunky dogs off and on since I was a kid. Because they wear a tuxedo every day, they’re the best-dressed canine! Bostons are a small breed, but I’m convinced they see themselves as 300 pounds of muscle with powerful steel jaws. When I was in grade school, my Boston and Dad’s bird dog got into a raging fight. For some reason the crawl-space door was open and both dogs got under the house and went at it. The dogs were as mad as hornets and they meant business! I didn’t want either one of them to get hurt, so I crawled under the house, separated the dogs, and promptly ended their ferocious fight. When Dad got home, I told him about the dog fight and my efforts to stop it. He rightly scolded me, telling me to never do that again! He said, “When dogs are fighting, they’re mad and will bite anyone and anything that gets in their way.”
Living in the country can sure add extra spice to your life! In the early years of our marriage, my husband found a huge bull snake and killed it. Our Boston Terrier was quite excited and latched onto one end of the dead snake. Jimmy grabbed the other end and swung the snake around with the little dog’s steel jaws firmly holding onto the snake. This sounds unbelievably bizarre, but I have a photo to prove it. The Boston is little on the outside, but thinks like a bulldozer on the inside.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was absolutely right when he said, “What matters is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” This statement can be applied to Christ followers too. When life gets tough do we have the tenacity of a little Boston Terrier to hold on for dear life? We have the answer herein: “I will fight on for God, holding tightly to the eternal life which God has given me, and which I have confessed with such a ringing confession before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12 TLB).
If you’ve got the determination and perseverance, God will provide the strength and stamina to accomplish what you’ve made up your mind to do. Making the right decision is always the first step. We used to sing the chorus, “I have decided to follow Jesus….” After that life-altering decision comes the followup of being steadfast and unmovable. Any pip-squeak on the outside can start something, but it takes a tough-and-firm inside to stick with it and blow through the finish line with flying colors at the end of your life.
As believers, it wouldn’t hurt us to adopt this well-known motto: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” John Thomas, a 1950s football coach, spoke those inspirational words to his team to inspire rock-solid resilience and action. Apostle Peter also shares great encouragement to believers in overcoming life’s hurdles: “Take a decisive stand against him [the devil] and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, Who has called you to share in His eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, He will set you firmly in place and build you up. And He has all the power needed to do this –forever! Amen” (1 Peter 5:9-11 TPT).
The Key: How big is the size of your fight?