Hands Down Man Down

 “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.”
~Muhammad Ali

This past summer, I finally built up the nerve to try my hand at the sport of boxing.  It was a very exciting time where I was pushed far beyond my preconceived physical limits and learned one of the earliest forms of self defense.  The strength training was intense, the endurance drills were insane, but what I found to be most challenging was sparring.  Why? BECAUSE IT HURTS.  Believe it or not, people actually hit you when you’re in the ring and those padded red gloves and head gear you see on TV only give you a limited amount of protection.  But, in order to be among the best, you have to train with the best.  This meant occasionally sparring with the most experienced fighters in our gym.  Coach Hills would always tell us that we would never improve unless we competed against someone who would push us beyond our current skill level.  We trained hard and made our mistakes in the gym so we wouldn’t make mistakes in the ring against a real opponent. Sugar Ray Leonard once said “Boxing is the ultimate challenge.  There’s nothing that can compare to testing yourself the way you do every time you step in the ring” and he’s right.  I haven’t had that much fun in a really long time.  The Bible also makes mention of how challenges help test our faith. 

² “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” ~James 1:2-4 NIV 

¹² “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” ~James 1:12 NIV

“And I love kick boxing. It’s a lot of fun. It gives you a lot of confidence when you can kick somebody in the head.“~Alicia Keys

 I must admit, though.  There are few things in this world that will destroy a mans confidence faster than being hit in the face by an opponent.  I can remember sparring with the coaches son.  He was all of thirteen years old, but was equal to my height with twice the muscle.  He had also been in more fights professionally than I had in my entire life.  The first time I saw him fight, I thought to myself, “This isn’t a child.  It’s a small man.”  Please don’t misunderstand me.  He was a gentleman in word and in deed.  However, he was one of the toughest fighters I have ever seen.  I can remember him critiquing my stance one day while we were sparring. 

“You should bring your hands up and put your head down, Mr. Jason.  You’re exposing your chin.”

“What do you mean?  It looks OK to me.”

 WHAM!  He gave me a quick jab to the face and I felt my brain lurch from my forehead and slam into the back of my skull.  My ears were ringing and just for a split second, my sparring partner became invisible.  “Hands down, man down.”  I heard his dad shout from the other side of the gym.

“I must be freaking crazy.”  I mumbled through my mouth piece.

“Whats that, Mr. Jason?”   

“Hmnn?”  I responded flatly.  “I didn’t say anything.  Lets try this again.”  I was too embarrassed to let this kid know he almost knocked me out and I had too much pride to quit.  He was a formidable opponent and being in the ring with him taught me more than just to keep my hands up and my head down.   As much as it hurt, being able to take a punch taught me how to give one.  Sometimes being put into a position where you have to defend yourself works to strengthen your confidence.  To further elaborate on my earlier statement, there are few things in this world that can equallydestroy a mans confidence and build it faster than being punched in the face by an opponent.  Yeah, having your head bashed in hurts.  But it is also the vehicle that teaches you how to strike back.

“Boxing is about being hit rather more than it is about hitting, just as it is about feeling pain, if not devastating psychological paralysis, more than it is about winning.” ~Joyce Carol Oates

The same thing can be said for defending your Christian beliefs.  I’m not sure if you have ever been in a religious debate with someone, but if not careful, speaking on the subject can divide the dearest of friends.  But, like boxing, defending your religious views has a way of training you.  Not to be a better fighter, but to be a more informed Christian.  Apologetics is the branch of theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity.  Its great to believe in something, but do you really understand what you believe or is it just out of routine and religiousness.  For example, if you are sharing  your faith with a non-believer, wouldn’t it be great to be able to tell them why Jesus died on the cross for our sins and not just that he did?  Wouldn’t it be great if you could plainly explain the meaning behind the sacrificial system concerning the shedding of blood for the remission of sin?   Apologetics serves to defend the faith against objections and misrepresentation, and to expose perceived error within other religions and world views. 

“Smart fighters win fights.” ~Coach Manjarreau Hills

I know what you might be thinking.  So what exactly does this have to do with boxing?  Actor Jimmy Smits was once quoted as saying this about the sport.   ”It’s less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and have trained hard enough to know how many different ways you can counterattack in any situation, at any moment.”   The same can be said for apologetics.  In order to defend your faith, you have to know how to counterattack.  The only way to know how to counterattack in apologetics is to know your Bible. 

Sometimes discussing your faith can feal like a boxing match.  Your “opponent” may try to jab at you with misconceptions of varying translations of the Bible.  They may uppercut you with Darwinism and logic.  They may even attack you with recent hipocrocies in the Christian Church.  Essentially, you can only do one of two things.  One, let these advances injure your confidence in speaking out about your faith.  Or two, let their commentary strengthen your confidence and better prepare you for the next debate.

“Hands down, man down.”  ~Coach Manjarreau Hills

I have decided to make the personal decision to mentally train myself for every type of attack on my faith I might face.  To do this I have taken a more literal stance to Coach Hills’ “Hands down, man down” approach to boxing.  My plan is to constantly have my hands up studying the Word of God and to have my head down in prayer to Him. This is what the Book of 1st Corinthians has to say about being self disciplined.

 ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. ~1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV

Just in case you still aren’t convinced,  lets take a look at the Book of Joshua.

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~Joshua 1:7-9 NIV

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
~Muhammad Ali

Please don’t misunderstand me.  No one will be able to remember every scripture all of the time.  But being that what it may, I am still dedicating myself to mentally do battle with the falsehoods and misconceptions of those who have a different belief system than what I do.  Being confronted with someone who is actively trying to poke holes in your faith can be incredibly uncomfortable and even painful at times.  However, being well prepared for such an event will not only bring glory to the Kingdom of Heaven, but will also serve as a powerful tool to strengthen your belief in the Word of God.  So as Christian Believers, lets meditate on the Word day and night and remember Coach Hills Advice;  “Hands down, man down”.  Be Blessed, My Friends.  Be an Overcomer. 

~Bro. Jason Z. Hunt

 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners

run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. ~1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Memory Verse:  “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” ~Joshua 1:8 NIV

Memory Word:  “Apologetics”:  the branch of theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity.

Inspiring Music:  “No Battle, No Blessing”  by Shari Addison