What war are you fighting?

It seems to me that humans really like having a war to fight.  At least humans that have not been lulled into meaningless complacency by the luxury of our culture.  We desire something to campaign for and to fight for.
Of course I am not using the word fight to mean a physical war, but more a mental one.
When I was younger, and some older people may well say that these tendencies yet reside within me, I recall going thru great cycles in my thoughts.  I would get all pumped up about some particular idea, or doctrine, and would push it with remarkable tenacity.  I would take up the banner of, say, my particular view of music, and campaign against all those who thought differently.  This war would consume my thoughts…. at least until another thing gained dominance in my mind.  And then I went to war for that thing….  And on and on it went.
Sadly many never grow out of this cycle.  I think, or rather hope that I did.
Even sadder are those who no longer are cyclical in these patterns, but settle down into their own particular war.  Fine-tuned their defences are.  They have handcrafted them over years.  And all too often the things that some people have chosen to defend with all their exertions and thoughts are so peripheral to the Christian faith that their efforts are far more detrimental than helpful.
Not to say that waging war over a particular doctrine is not a good thing sometimes.  That Martin Luther took it in hand to fight that huge battle over justification by faith is something that all Christians should be grateful for.  We need that sometimes.
But let us, like Luther, fight these wars for the right things.  Peripheral doctrines should be seen as just that.  Let us focus our lives on the gospel and make war over that!  Christ and His kingdom should be what is on our hearts and minds at all times.
War is necessary.  Inactivity is treason.  Making war over anything less than the gospel and Christ’s kingdom is just as treasonous.
Let us crown Christ King, over our wars.

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