Until I met my wife, Colleen (resident bird expert among other things), I couldn’t tell the difference between an eagle and an egret. Now I can spot the difference between a Goshawk and a Redtail in flight. Who knew there was so much beauty flying overhead? Certainly not me.
That would explain my curiosity when I heard a quartet of crows squawking outside my office window. I looked out to discover two of the four battling it out in the branches of a nearby oak tree. And I mean battle – more like all-out war. Feathers were flying while jockeying for superior positioning over the other. The audience of two looked on with great intrigue. Me too, for that matter.
I Googled, why do crows fight each other? Here’s one of the answers I got, among many. “Crows fight with each other a lot, both within their family groups and outside of them, though when it’s with family it’s usually not as serious. With crows outside their family they may be fighting to defend mates, food, or territory boundaries.”
Does that sound familiar to anyone?
Too often the fights in our family or outside of those confines stand in the way of spiritual formation and more times than not about our own need for validation, control, or self-rightness.
But…
Depending on the situation, fighting can be noble and good, or it can be sinful, but fighting is not wrong in itself. The object of the fight is what determines the fighting to be righteous or evil. Even God fights on behalf of His people who trust Him (Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:30; Nehemiah 4:20). God is called a “man of war” in Isaiah 42:13 (ESV).
Fighting in the Bible can be physical or spiritual. Either way, the conflict is intended to establish dominance over the opposition. That opposition can be a human army, Satan, or sin.
Today, our biggest challenges come from our spiritual enemy, Satan and his minions. In that case, recruit an army to pray on your behalf for the victory. If it’s with friends, family, or others ask God for the fortitude and wisdom to fix it not fight about it.
Unlike crows we’re wired differently. To lead with love.
And that’s the Memo.
Steve
