Chapter 7 “Good Old-Fashioned Guts”

This post is from Jeff Benson

Ok, so we are on Chapter 7 of Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase. If you’re not excited by now on what the Holy Spirit can do in your life, better check your pulse. The title alone Good Old Fashioned Guts’ sounds like it could be the title to any of John Wayne’s old movies. Remember how ‘The Duke’ would swagger down main street, gun in hand, not afraid of anybody, looking for a fight against a bunch of bandits. As a kid, I would watch in amazement as he would spin and shoot bad guys ready to trap him from a balcony. Then he would proceed to grit his teeth and fist fight the rest until he whooped every last one.

We may not carry a six-shooters and wear a cowboy hat to our fights. However, taking that example, we need to swagger in confidence in who we are in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Walking through our daily lives in the knowledge that our enemies have been defeated and that our Savior is victorious.

I absolutely love the paragraph on page 149…”There is nothing remotely passive about being part of the kingdom of God. We are called to forcefully advance the cause of Christ. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. Faithfulness is storming the gates of hell.”

I used to travel to Montana once a year just to experience ‘cowboy life’. Living and working with guys who the real western deal, riding horses to work, wearing boots and chaps, dusty cowboy hast great for every season, and yes actually carrying six-shooters. These guys wore everything they needed to work and survive the day and I could always see a look of confidence on their weathered faces. Not in an arrogant way, they knew there purpose for the day and knew they were good at what they did. We as Christians need to know our purpose for today, equipped ourselves and get out there. No more, just holding the fort. May God bless your life richly.

Jeff Benson