As a Jesus Guy, someone who loves, worships and follows Jesus in my daily life, I’m often confronted with misconceptions about who Jesus was, is, and what he taught.

The Jesus teaching about turning the other cheek is one that presents itself most often.  Yes it is true that there are times when turning the other is the strong, wise, long-term thing to do.  But there are other times that turning the other cheek makes you a coward.

Just turning your cheek as a blanket statement, because you’re afraid of opposition, because you don’t understand that the best things in life are not free and that you must fight for them will rob you of the life that God intended.

The question becomes, “What is worth fighting for?”  Let me tell you what’s not worth fighting for:  your opinion, your style, your personality, your preferences; the things that were ingrained in you as a child, that were traditions not grounded in truth.  All these things aren’t worth fighting for.  But there are many that are.

Let me say to all the men out there.  Your marriage is worth fighting for.  Today is Valentine’s Day, the day we’re supposed to show love.  It’s kind of a corporate requirement.  Forced love, appreciation, dinners, trinkets, boxes of candy are cosmetic cover-ups, usually for the things that have gone wrong down deep inside.  The very thing that we can’t replace – our marriage – is often the very thing that we give up and try to replace with a newer model or some other diversion.  Your marriage is worth fighting for.

Remember, turning the other cheek is way overrated.  The best things in life are not free.  You must fight for them.  You must fight to defend, to keep them, to protect them, to keep your covenants and promises, and to be a true man.

Fighting is a good thing.  It’s knowing when to fight, how to fight, and for what you are to fight.

Remember the whole concept of freedom?  Freedom simply means somebody’s got to die.  Somebody has to pay for the freedom that you and I enjoy, just as those who have gone before us have created this great land by the sacrifices they’ve made.  They were fighters.  There’s nothing wrong with being a fighter. There is everything wrong with being small, fitful, aggravated, angry, and pissed-off at the world because it won’t give you what you want.  There is everything right with fighting for truth, integrity, for your marriage and your children; for the things you believe are right and good and noble,  because there is someone out there after you to take it away.

The Scriptures warn us that Satan is roaring like a lion seeking weak people to attack, to jump on and devour.  Don’t be one of those people.