The bow-tie-wearing announcer stepped into the middle of the ring with microphone in hand. His booming voice brought the crowed to their feet. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event of the evening. Fighting out of the blue corner, weighing in at 152 pounds, he has a perfect record of 12 wins and no losses, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lance Jones!”
In the front row, Shawn roared at the top of his lungs as his brother danced around the ring with his hand raised over his head.
After a short pause, the announcer continued. “Fighting out of the red corner, weighing in at 150 pounds, with a record of 13 wins and one loss, from Las Vegas, Nevada, Angel Fallon.
Shawn watched his brother’s opponent closely. Fallon didn’t put on a show, boxing the air, or beating his chest, as most fighters did. Instead, he stared at Lance with piercing, dark eyes.
Shawn found his behavior a little unsettling. There was something about this fighter he did not like, but didn’t really know why. However, it didn’t matter. He had complete confidence in his older brother. Lance was a winner, and Shawn was his biggest fan. Shawn was there in the gym when Lance’s coach told him that he had what it took to become a professional someday.
Lance was the best brother a boy could have. Every opportunity Shawn had, he would spend with Lance. During the endless hours in the gym, or on a long run, Lance taught his little brother everything he knew about boxing, training hard, and most importantly, about becoming a man. “Never give up,” was one of his favorite sayings. “No matter how difficult life gets, never quit.”
The crowd settled down as the referee reminded the contenders of the rules of the fight. Then the fighters returned to their corners until the first round bell brought them charging to the center of the ring. Lance was quick to start the action, with a solid blow to his opponent’s body. Fallon retreated back a step, but then came forward swinging.
Lance settled into his normal routine. With lightning-fast hands, he scored blow after blow. After three minutes of action, the bell announced the end of the first round. Lance returned to his corner barely winded. His coach rattled off a list of instructions of what to do to improve his already stellar performance. After what seemed like a few seconds, the fighters were back at each other for round two.
Round after round, Shawn cheered as his brother worked over his opponent. Halfway through the eleventh round, the fight seemed all but won. With a punishing combination, Lance pressed Fallon into the ropes. Then, in an instant, it all changed.
Out of nowhere Fallon caught Lance with a devastating left hook. Shawn gasped as his brother’s jaw absorbed the powerful shot. Immediately Lance was in trouble. His legs turned to rubber, and he barely kept himself from going down. Fallon rushed forward to finish off Lance with a flurry of punches. Lance backed away with his arms up to fend off the assault.
Sensing a knockout at any second, the crowd went wild, but Shawn could not believe what he was witnessing. In past bouts, he had seen his brother take a punch, but nothing that ever phased him. Now, he was in danger of going down for good.
By a miracle, Lance managed to stay off the canvas until the round ended. He staggered to his corner and dropped himself onto the stool. Chaos erupted in the corner. Inches from Lance’s face, his coach shouted instructions while the referee hovered over his shoulder asking if the fighter was going to throw in the towel.
Even though he was not supposed to interfere, Shawn ran forward to encourage his brother. Whether a single word reached Lance’s ear, he didn’t know. But then, the weary fighter turned toward Shawn, his eyes struggled to come to focus. His face already began to swell.
Shawn looked on with compassion. He certainly didn’t want Lance to lose the fight, but it pained him to see his brother take such a brutal beating. Seconds later the bell rang. For Shawn, the twelfth round seemed like a lifetime.
Fallon threw everything he had at Lance, but like a true champion, Lance put up a solid defense, and refused to go down. Eventually, Fallon ran out of steam when he realized he was not going to get a knockout. Later, when the final bell rang, both boxers were still on their feet.
In the quiet of the locker room, Shawn stared at his brothers battered face. He tried to be brave. Choking back tears, he did his best to encourage his brother. “You were great Lance.”
When Lance held out his arms, Shawn ran to him and squeezed him as hard as he could.
“I fought a good fight, buddy. I didn’t give up, and I didn’t quit.”
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Sometimes in our Christian walk, we will face difficult situation that often come suddenly. Are you prepared?
Read 1 Cor 9:25-26
What does the Apostle Paul mean by “strict training?”
Read 2 Cor 4:8-9
How did Paul react to persecution?
Read 2 Tim 4:7-8
What does God have in store for those who “fight the good fight?” and “keep the faith?”