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Worth Fighting For

If you’ve seen “The Color Purple,” I’m sure you know the part of the story where Sophia confronts another character, Celie. During the encounter, Sophia says, “All my life I had to fight.” This phrase applies to you too.

All of your life, you’ll have to fight.

Fighting is mentioned many times in the Bible. Even Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples, cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s men when they came to pick up Jesus before the crucifixion (Luke 22). Jesus healed it, though, so it was all good.

When we hear the word fight, we often think about

• Raised fists.
• Taking off earrings.
• Using weapons.

Thankfully, you won’t need to do any of those to fight this battle.

Instead, you’ll need spiritual weapons.

Check out Ephesians 6:11-17 for yourself, and then spend a few minutes thinking about how God equips us with all we need to fight the battles we experience each day (whether we’re fasting or not). These verses help when:

• Your laundry is piled high, and the sink is full.
• You’re about to send that “per my last email” response to a coworker.
• Your kids are showing you that you do not have the patience of Job.
• You’re "hangry" (hungry + angry).

He gives us all we need to fight and win.

The best part is you don’t have to fight alone. God equips and fortifies us with exactly what we need when we need it. Trying to fight our own battles often makes us feel less than or incompetent. That’s not God’s design. Lean on Him and spend some quiet time thinking through how you will fight your battles with His help.

(Note: In no way am I endorsing or condoning domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a victim, please visit thehotline.org or nomore.org for help. )

Fight for your faith by preparing this Daniel Fast-aligned recipe below. If you’re fasting separately from those in your household, this is one option to feed everyone whether they’re on the fast or not.

Oven Roasted Italian Potatoes

Course Side Dishes

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 40 minutes

Total 50 minutes

Serving: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (5 pound) bag Yukon Gold potatoes (red or purple work well also)
• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 2 sprigs fresh)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning Blend (or skip this ingredient and just use the other herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rinse and pat dry potatoes using a paper towel.
3. Chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces (about 6 pieces per baby red potato and about 10 for Yukon Gold).
4. Add potatoes to a large bowl and mix in all seasonings and oil. Spread out potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. (Or spread potatoes out on the sheet, sprinkle with toppings, and stir for even distribution.)
5. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
6. Use a spatula or spoon to shift potatoes around. Cook for 20 additional minutes for softer spuds and 30 minutes for crunchier potatoes.

Chef Tips

• Use a food chopper, Santoku knife, or large chef’s knife to decrease cutting time.
• Cut down on cooking time by covering with a lid or foil when cooking.
• Add (smoked paprika) for a different flavor.