Battle Buddy

After I get off the bus from beach retreat each year, I always ask how long it is till the next one.  Though I'm exhausted and ready for my bed, I always long for beach retreat!  But as I started thinking about the next one, I realized something: a couple of girls I have known since my first beach retreat are seniors this year and it will be their last beach retreat as students.  It made me sad because I not only see these girls as girls I mentor, but also friends and daughters.  I have seen them grow and mature in their Christianity over these past few years and it has been amazing.

One night we were all talking and a subject got brought up about college.  A lot of the girls were saying how they were excited, but also about how they weren't going to give into the temptations of the world.  Another lady and I warned them though to be cautious.  We both knew people, and I became one of them, that though they said no to lots of things in high school and said they wouldn't ever do them, did them.  Especially when it came to sex before marriage.  Now I could talk about that topic specifically but I am going to leave that for another post. 

I will admit, it is very hard to keep true to your convictions sometimes when you leave the comfort of your home, church, youth group, etc.  You are in a new place and you might not know anyone.   But I want to encourage you about taking steps this summer that can help any of you leaving for college in the fall.  Now of course it doesn't just apply to graduates; this applies to all.  Summer can be a great time to prepare yourself to be ready for battle when school starts.

The phrase "accountability partner" has always been used in Christian circles and I think it is such an important thing to have, but since in our church we have talked about the battle ground, I am going to use a phrase the army use: battle buddy.  A battle buddy is a partner assigned to a soldier in the army. A battle buddy to assist his or her partner both in and out of combat.  This person is to be a support system mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  So how can this work in a Christian sense?  Every day you face a battle with the world.  Now of course, God is always with us and He is our ultimate battle buddy, but it is vital to have a battle buddy (friend) to stand beside us in battle.  In Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10a, 12 shows the importance of friendship:

"Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor: 
 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broke"

When you have your battle buddy beside you, you can encourage each other, help one another when the other one is down, work together towards building the kingdom of heaven, ad hold each other accountable to living a life pleasing to God.  Now this may seem very obvious, but it is important that your battle buddy is another Christian.  And I don't mean one that just says "Hey I'm a Christian" but doesn't live that way.  You need to find someone who is wanting the same thing as you; to grow closer to God.  I love at the end of verse twelve where it says "A strand of three is not quickly broke."  This can be interpreted different ways but for friendship I love saying that you, you friend, and God make up those three strands.  When God is the center of your friendship, you can stand against anything.

So with that being said, what do I want to encourage you to do: find your battle buddy.  Make it a point to meet at least once a week for lunch, dinner, coffee, etc.  Something where you are able to talk.  If you start that now, and make it a habit to build one another up, it will continue into the school year.  And for those of you going off to college, and your battle buddy and you aren't going to the same school, make a phone date with each other; encourage one another to get plugged into a church, find other Christian friends to have as a battle buddy there.  I can tell you from my experience it is imperative to have a battle buddy that has God the center of their life to hold you accountable.  I had lost touch with those in my youth group that were my "battle buddies" and had other friendships that were focused on other things.  I started going to a church, was in a Christan sorority, but did not get plugged in the way I should have to stay on the path God wanted and I ended up straying far.  So I can not stress the importance of having a battle buddy as you get ready to start the school year, whether its high school or college.  So find that person you will be there with you on the battle ground, because remember, a strand of three is not quickly broken.