Stripe 2 – You are not alone
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” John 14:16-17
Train for any amount of time and you’ll notice very quickly how familial the Jiu Jitsu community is. There’s a very interesting juxtaposition about BJJ where physicality and aggression meet connection and relationship. One minute you’re choking your partner out, and the next your smiling, laughing and hugging it out. I tend to believe that as men these are two primal traits that God put in us that meet up on the mats. One is aggression; we’re meant to fight, to protect, and the other is caring, loving and shepherding. The important thing to note about BJJ is you are never alone on the mats. Yes; you can technically perform solo BJJ drills, but if you want to spare/roll, you need a partner. Even more importantly, however, is if you continue to train in Jiu Jitsu you will always have a family.
There’s a really cool story about a similar connection between two men in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel. This story is packed with combat and aggression, yet connection and relationship.
The cliff notes version is that David, who had been anointed to be the next king, lived in a constant state of combat and flight because of King Saul’s jealousy and anger. There were many times when King Saul would attempt to kill David, but fortunately for David, he forged an instant connection with Jonathan, King Saul’s son, who was credited for saving David’s life on multiple occasions. It says in 1 Samuel 18:1 “After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.” It continues in v3-4 where it says “And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow and belt.” Jonathan was committed to David, and David was equally committed to Jonathan. These two friends had a connection that I believe most people will never experience in this life. It was to the death! Jonathan states in 1 Samuel 20: 11-17, “Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David,[a] saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.”
The connections we make on the mats are special. Ask anyone who has trained for any length of time. When you go toe-to-toe with someone, regardless of who wins, there is mutual respect and a connection. As we’ve mentioned previously, there are many parallels between BJJ and life. Just as we do on the mats, we seem to go toe-to-toe with life pretty regularly. Who or what are you currently going toe-to-toe with? The better question is who do you have in your corner when you’re in the midst of the battle? Jesus talks about leaving us with an Advocate in John 14,15 and 16. He says that he will give us an Advocate, a helper, who will never leave us. This Advocate is God’s Spirit, also known as the Holy Spirit. When we make Jesus the Lord of our lives, his Holy Spirit comes in and dwells within us. Thus, he is always with us, and will never leave us. Jesus continues in John 14:26-27 and says “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
Yes, the Jiu Jitsu family is special, but nothing can compare to knowing that Jesus left us with the greatest gift – his Holy Spirit. I want to encourage you to read John 14, 15 and 16, and if the Holy Spirit is new to you, to dig into God’s word and get to know his Spirit. Regardless of what you are going through, the Holy Spirit is always with you and willing and ready to help!