the heart of the matter

the other day, i was watching the national geographic channel. the title of the show was “fight science.” it was about the mysteries of martial arts.. and the search for the “ultimate weapon” in combat. in the show, scientists wanted to verify whether the legends about ninjas and martial arts experts were true. they wanted to find out if these people could really do seemingly superhuman acts (such as leaping from one high pole to another; breaking blocks that even sledgehammers could not shatter; and spinning a spear so fast that it actually forms a shield around the warrior).

i sat amazed as i watched the show. featured there were several martial arts experts trained in wielding various weapons. there was a master of ninjitsu (a ninja) who demonstrated perfect balance and speed. there were two burly brothers who used their hands, heads and entire bodies to shatter more than a dozen concrete blocks. there were also the weapon-wielding masters who used their favorite “tools”: the short stick, the “chako”, the spear and the samurai sword. it was unbelievable! i thought all these were simply legends. so did the scientists. but the numbers spewed out by their gadgets did not lie. these warriors were exhibiting strength that surpassed even that of the strongest muscleman. they were, quite literally, superhuman.

the scientists naturally wanted to know what enabled these warriors to perform such feats. they found out that some of them have altered physical characteristics. the brothers who shattered concrete with their bare hands? their bones were much, much denser than the average human’s. how did that happen? training. discipline. and lots and lots of pain. the quote “what does not kill you makes you stronger” certainly applies in their case.

what i found truly admirable, however, was not the strength/agility/accuracy of the warriors. what i marveled at was their control.. their discipline. imagine having the ability to bring down walls with one punch.. to kill a person with a single jab! think of the responsibility that comes with such great power! in the wrong hands.. such power can truly be deadly.

after the sticks, the spears and the swords were evaluated, the scientists concluded that there was more to these martial artists than just their skills and physical abilities. the ultimate weapon was not any of those that they wielded. it was not even their highly trained minds and bodies: “as every true fighter knows, the most important weapon is the heart of the warrior.”

we too are warriors. warriors for the Lord. and in our daily lives, we struggle.. we bear our crosses.. we try to discipline ourselves as we learn how to walk the Christian walk. we endeavor to strengthen our spiritual bones and muscles. we practice our faith. we try to please the Father the best way we know how. sometimes we stumble.. and sometimes we fall. but as we continue our training, He empowers us and changes us. and makes us truly superhuman.

in the end, the heart of the matter is really a matter of the heart. if we have the right heart, He will be faithful to transform us into more than what we ever imagined we could be.