Warrior and Lover

Have you ever noticed that all of the hard trials and problems in life seem to either happen all at once or right after each other? According to John Eldredge, this is part of the Warrior stage of a man's life. These are the times when we are either forced to fight for what we believe in, or we choose to fight fight for what we believe in. Everyone needs to know what they stand for and do what has to be done to fight for it. This is where the Enemy steps in. If he can't beat us during the battle, then he'll continue to bring more and more battles to us. That's where I feel Sarah and I have been lately. Our faith has been strengthened as a result of several big trials we've dealt with this year, and yet we just keep getting tried. If the Enemy can't beat us, then he tries to overwhelm us in battle. This tactic isn't necessarily to eventually beat us, but to get us so tied up in battling that we forget that life is more than a battle.
That's where the Lover comes in. Even in the midst of the battles we face, God desires to woo us into an intimate relationship with Him. Battling for our faith is a very important part of life, but loving God and loving others is even bigger. The Enemy wants us to forget that. If he can keep us from loving, then he was won. Love is result of the grace and mercy we receive from our Lord.
My Challege to You: Even in the midst of your battles, make sure you've taken time to love God and love others.

Quote from Bryan, a friend of John Eldredge quoted in The Way of the Wild Heart:
"My heart rests more now than it used to...it knows that not everything is a fight...much of life is simply a romance."