As of this writing I am 39.99421248764165 years old.
(So) Help me God.
I am aware of all the backload I have to write, from the lessons learned in Cubao from Compassion Manila, and the experiences from our recent trip to the North. And I’m thinking to myself and praying right now, were all these trips a perspective of my past (Brent Baguio) and my present (Bolinao with my Team)? Was the trip to Cubao and Ortigas a step back into the past, or does it join with the trip to Tabuk and Kalinga as a glimpse into the future?
One thing’s for sure – I probably shouldn’t be thinking too much into how I’m transitioning into another year… and I should probably be praying a little more as the actual day approaches.
I’ve prayed for a thunderbolt. I’m probably praying for a distinct revelation.
But I’m thanking God for sure, for His faithfulness to me up until now.
I’ve been reading recently through 2 Samuel, and I’ve set aside Chapter 23 in particular, if only to recognize ‘the three’; That is, the mightiest of the mighty men of David:
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He (NKJV adds: ‘was called Adino the Eznite, because he’) wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.
And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory.
2 Samuel 23:8-12
I’m assuming that these three mighty men had many feats and exploits, but the one who wrote 2 Samuel singled out accomplishments that we’re to agree are notable, and are worthy of reading, remembering, and integrating.
For instance, the writer of 2 Samuel wanted us to know that of all the exploits of Josheb-basshebeth, or Adino, we’re to remember that he wielded his spear and killed 800 (men, according to the NKJV) at one time. Now, while that is certainly a bloody feat, we can also say that he himself avoided being killed or survived death, 800 times at one time – I’d say that it was not Adino’s ability to kill, more than it was his consistent resiliency – that is, his ability to stay alive again and again that was a contributor to making him ‘chief of the three’.
I have reason to believe that the Holy Spirit was present for the writer of 2 Samuel to point out that Eleazar ‘rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword.’ While this may immediately be additional reason for us to include grip strength in our physical training, I’m saying that it was Eleazar’s patient endurance that was a factor to why he was part of the ‘three mighty men’. I include ‘patient’ because Eleazar stayed on even after ‘the LORD brought about a great victory that day’, and as ‘the men returned… to strip the slain’.
Finally, we’re to remember Shammah, next to Eleazar, for how he brought the fight in the midst of the ‘plot of ground full of lentils’ where the Philistines were gathered, and he ‘defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory‘ – certainly another indication of patient endurance, but also composed resolve: Shammah stood his ground, and maintained his defense, at least until ‘the LORD worked a great victory’.
Ever since my brothers started bullying me for my weight so many years ago, I seem to have gone beyond reacting, and responding by way of getting into exercising, and then nutrition.
I remember reading of a ‘fat-burning soup’ in the newspaper, which composed of a lot of cabbage and celery and tomatoes; The idea of trying it was a whole lot more appealing than the actual soup. I remember trying a bowl, probably not even finishing it, and not touching any of the stuff after that.
Later on in college, and then as I started working, I started going to the gym, and my good brother (who was also preparing to join the military at the time) taught me a lot about the basics – cardio, lifting in sets, going till failure, and so on.
In the late 2000’s my brothers started doing P90X, and I tried it out myself, taking home some videos as well as workout bands so I could continue with the program no matter where I was.
I was pretty complacent with my looks and workouts from the early 2010’s through to the first quarter of 2018 when I got serious about not just my working out but my diet and nutrition. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I’ll say I was probably motivated by the relief following the positive results of my colonoscopy, plus me seeing the before and after pics of a friend once fat (in college) now fit.
In the program I joined at the time, they asked, ‘why are you here?’, to which I immediately answered, ‘I want to get my body back’ – and I did, to an extent. I lost 20, then 10 more pounds in a matter of 3 or 4 months. It was nice to see all the goo out of my body but I was still disappointed I didn’t see my abs as much.
After this program I thought, I’m getting my body back, and I should probably work on getting my mind back. It’s been a struggle against porn and procrastination, and I thought that joining a program would help me, just as it did with my ‘getting my body back’.
Long story short, I finished the program, I’m still struggling against porn and procrastination, and I actually have a new ‘opponent’ – that is, guru-hyped productivity.
Oh, and all that weight I lost? I gained it back in a matter of a year and a half.
Why am I sharing all this? Well, my timeline is filled with all sorts of Alpha Male marketing, Stoicism, calisthenics… lots of insight from who I agree is one of the toughest smart guys in the world (Jordan Peterson), and also one of the smartest tough guys in the world (Jocko Willink)… lots of posts influencing how I myself would want to be a warrior-philosopher, a soldier in times of peace versus a gardener in times of war.
Lesser posts about traumatized Batman who processed the fear, and more posts about the miserable Bane who channeled the hatred. Lesser posts about Goku the Legendary Super Saiyan, and more posts about Vegeta, the (tactical and proud) Prince of all Saiyans.
But I suppose all of this advice on nutrition and diet, all this talk on Stoicism, Marcus Aurelius, Nietzsche, and so on; All I’ve seen and experienced for myself, all that I’ve accomplished and all that’s still left to do either leads to, or is addressed by these three attitudes of these three mightiest of David’s mighty men: consistent resiliency, patient endurance, and composed resolve.
I need to be consistent in my resiliency, and resilient in my consistency; Put that in to practice by way of upholding my food choices and preferences even when the folks around me are offering more processed food and drink than I’d want to be used to.
I need to be patient in my endurance – taking that deep breath and embracing the pain when it is required of me, especially in the heavier lifting. I need to be enduring in patience – taking a step away from physical fitness and being more intentional in my dealings with people, especially those whom the world would suggest would have nothing of value to me.
I need to be composed in my resolve – slowing down if necessary to maintain my form as I take on the latter stages of sets demanding high repetition exercises. I need to be resolute in my composition, fighting the temptation to react immediately, in favor of responding thoughtfully.
I suppose, from one point of view, that we can take all that we’ve learned so far about being the philosophizing warrior and the warring philosopher, and put them all together to fit in what the Bible tells us about three mighty men… But I believe we can compact it even further.
Josheb-basshebeth, or Adino may have been the leader of the three, who were the mightiest of the mighty men… but they were all mighty men who reported to King David… and he had some choice words to share in the first part of 2 Samuel 23, before we even read of the exploits of the three:
“The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
“For does not my house stand so with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken with the hand; but the man who touches them arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire.”
2 Samuel 23:2-7
You guessed it. As always, God has something, and EVERYTHING to do with any ‘progress’ we do and desire in this reality. I venture to say that by the fear of God, or the fear of the Lord, David was motivated towards being consistently resilient, and resiliently (?) consistent. First thing that comes to mind was how he had more than one chance to kill Saul and end his torment, but he relented, knowing that for all Saul has done, he was still God’s anointed.
It was by David’s right standing with God (‘does not my house stand so with God?’) that brought Him to desire, first and foremost, to be patiently enduring to the process, and enduringly patient with himself and others. First thing that comes to mind was how he dealt with Absalom’s betrayal – How he graciously kept his distance when he killed Amnon, how he was patient with both Shimei, the one who cursed him consistently while he was on the run, and Absalom himself, when he expressed his desire to give him mercy, even when he may have known of his son ‘going into’ all of his concubines.
Finally, it is by the everlasting covenant God made with David that he was composed in his resolve, and resolute in his composition – not being intimidated by the Goliath, the giant armed to the teeth, even speaking in the name of the Lord as a rebuke to his mockery. The Holy Spirit who dwelled with him at his anointing by Samuel, was the same composed resolve that brought the stone from the river into the head of the giant.
Friends, today we have so much more than composed resolve, patient endurance, and consistent resiliency. Today, we can say we have what David has: the fear of the Lord, right standing with God, and an everlasting covenant… and I dare say this because by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the grace of God, we have been introduced to Christ and His finished work.
The fear (that is, the reverence and the utmost respect and recognition) of the Lord has been brought into us through Christ, who Himself is the Author AND the Finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Christ became sin that we would become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), that we would become His right standing with God… and it is through Christ that we have become ministers, benefactors of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6).
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6
I venture to say that we ourselves can demonstrate composition, resolve, patience, endurance, consistency, and resiliency: First, because they are not too far from the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, peace, patience, joy, faithfulness, kindness, goodness and self-control; Galatians 5:22-23), but also, more importantly, we see through Christ’s birth, death, resurrection and ascension, how He demonstrated consistent resiliency with us FIRST.
Through Christ’s finished work, we see how He was the one who was patiently enduring to us FIRST. Through the manger, the cross, the empty tomb, and the ascension, we see how Christ saw us through with composed resolution FIRST.
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
Friends, if you dig deep enough into the core of the philosophical warrior, and the warring philosopher… do not be surprised if you see Christ as his Foundation. Indeed, it is as Paul says to the Romans: From Him are all things, and to Him are all things.
Let us not be so fixated on the methods; rather, let us fix our eyes on Christ, the living Word, the Message that is the cause of the Methods.
I am now approximately 21,035,509 minutes old. Again, I’ve prayed for a thunderbolt, and I’m still praying for a distinct revelation… But now, as in so many minutes ago, I’m thanking God for sure, for His faithfulness to me.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen.
More to come, very soon. God bless us all.
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