In discussing my faith and the joy I take out of our martial arts program I have been questioned several times; "what does God have to do with martial arts?" That question got me to thinking and praying; perhaps I should set out to find an explanation to answer that question. So I did, here is the first installment of my justifications for practicing the martial arts with zeal for the Lord.
34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV).
I stand in awe everyday as I examine myself as a creation of God. Every movement I make and every function that my body performs is all done because of the order of things set by God. As I practice our art form, I analyze how my body moves, and the incredible things that I am able to do because of how I was created. While many in secular martial arts only see the shortcomings of their person, I pray that you like myself, would understand the individual potential that our Father has provided for us. Once I thoroughly appreciate what God has done for me I look around and see that each of my classmates has an individual potential too.
As we strengthen our bodies and find new movements which the Lord has enabled us to perform we can truly appreciate the Lords work in each of us. From that appreciation stems love and respect for our Father. As we grow in our art we learn to calm our minds and focus on the matter at hand, we should learn to see God in each situation and find new ways to bring his word to life in the lives of others and ourselves.
When we begin to find the spirituality that the art instills on us, we then look around and see that the root of our art is love and respect for one another. We bow not only to our instructor and to our classmates, but in competition we bow to our competitor. Those who fight without fully respecting the fact that God has created our enemy as an individual just as he created us, will ultimately come to defeat, and shortly thereafter dissapointment. Those who fight with love and respect for the person who stands before them will come away with a greater respect for God, his creation, and themselves. The second person understands that victory and defeat are not true spirit of competition, rather, learning respect, humility, and the marvels of God's creation are the apex of what it means to be a Christian martial artist.
The next time you step into the dojang I pray that you would be able to step away from the influences of the world. When you calm your mind, open your eyes and see God's glory all around you. One of your classmates is very talented at breakfalls but may be weaker at forms. Another of your classmates can endure a great deal of activity but is not very strong. As you exmaine your own weaknesses and strengths ponder the individuality that God has given you. No one expects you to be the next Bruce Lee, but we do wish to encourage you to reach the potential the Lord has instilled in you! Practice your art for the Lord and bring it's teachings into your interpersonal relationships. As you draw closer to the Lord and appreciate yourself grow in love for your classmates at the same rate. Then you will truly be on track to follow the greatest commandments. |
