I picked up this little book several years ago in an airport bookstore. I've tried reading it several times, and always stall out, and start over later. Not that its a bad book. But, since this is an abridgment of the actual text, its sort of choppy reading.
There are certain lessons in it that are still applicable today, much like the Bible.
Sun Tzu is talking of armies and battles. It still works for the everyday christian life.
I know myself, and I learn more about myself every time I open the Bible or get down on my knees. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. Sometimes they are one and the same. In the Bible, we are counseled to know our enemy, the Devil. Know his ways, his strategies, his ultimate desires. He wants to destroy our lives. Ruin our dreams, crush our drive, dilute our daily witness. When I know my weak areas, I can protect myself from his wiles. Knowing his weakness, I can destroy his plans.
At the beginning of chapter 3, Sun Tzu compares winning by the Tao, or the way, to winning by force. Do we win before we engage our enemy? or do we have to go through a rough battle to win? If I know my enemy, and his strategies, I can maneuver out of his traps before I fall into them, thereby avoiding any real battles with him. I heard one man put it this way: If I walk down the road, and fall into a hole, and injure myself, it is the city's fault. If I walk down the same road later, and fall into the same hole , um, I forget what he said, but its probably along the lines of being naive, or stupid. If the city posts signs, warnings, and blocks off the road, yet I go around them, and fall into the hole that I know is there, it is entirely my fault. That is willful sin. If I know the ways of my enemy, then I can plan on how to avoid his traps. Complete victory is when the enemy is overcome by strategy.
Sun Tzu also said that "victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." And how exactly does this fit into our lives? Let me give you a phrase I've heard in churches for a few decades now: "Don't ask God to bless what you're doing, but instead do what He is blessing." Seek His direction first, and then go forward. Don't make your own plans, and then ask Him to bless you. They may be counter to what He wants for your life. Another phrase I heard at college was this: "If it pleases you to please God, then you can do as you please."
We need to chose our allies well. Strong, organized ones, or a weak one who will pull us down. Other Christians, church goers, uplifting books, good movies ... things with God at their center. There are other good things out there, but they are merely good, not good for us. They don't bring us down, nor do they bring us up.
America, right now, is having problems determining who are her allies. We pick those who can help us economically, but whose internal policies we disagree with, such as China. Is China good, or bad, for us? I don't really know. But I'm sure there are better countries we can ally ourselves with than someone whose human rights violations are so blatant.
In our Christian life, we have choices to make. Lay out our strategies now to ensure our future victories.
As I read more of The Art of War, and see its christian applications, I'll write more.
There are certain lessons in it that are still applicable today, much like the Bible.
So,it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you don not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.
Sun Tzu is talking of armies and battles. It still works for the everyday christian life.
I know myself, and I learn more about myself every time I open the Bible or get down on my knees. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. Sometimes they are one and the same. In the Bible, we are counseled to know our enemy, the Devil. Know his ways, his strategies, his ultimate desires. He wants to destroy our lives. Ruin our dreams, crush our drive, dilute our daily witness. When I know my weak areas, I can protect myself from his wiles. Knowing his weakness, I can destroy his plans.
At the beginning of chapter 3, Sun Tzu compares winning by the Tao, or the way, to winning by force. Do we win before we engage our enemy? or do we have to go through a rough battle to win? If I know my enemy, and his strategies, I can maneuver out of his traps before I fall into them, thereby avoiding any real battles with him. I heard one man put it this way: If I walk down the road, and fall into a hole, and injure myself, it is the city's fault. If I walk down the same road later, and fall into the same hole , um, I forget what he said, but its probably along the lines of being naive, or stupid. If the city posts signs, warnings, and blocks off the road, yet I go around them, and fall into the hole that I know is there, it is entirely my fault. That is willful sin. If I know the ways of my enemy, then I can plan on how to avoid his traps. Complete victory is when the enemy is overcome by strategy.
Sun Tzu also said that "victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." And how exactly does this fit into our lives? Let me give you a phrase I've heard in churches for a few decades now: "Don't ask God to bless what you're doing, but instead do what He is blessing." Seek His direction first, and then go forward. Don't make your own plans, and then ask Him to bless you. They may be counter to what He wants for your life. Another phrase I heard at college was this: "If it pleases you to please God, then you can do as you please."
We need to chose our allies well. Strong, organized ones, or a weak one who will pull us down. Other Christians, church goers, uplifting books, good movies ... things with God at their center. There are other good things out there, but they are merely good, not good for us. They don't bring us down, nor do they bring us up.
America, right now, is having problems determining who are her allies. We pick those who can help us economically, but whose internal policies we disagree with, such as China. Is China good, or bad, for us? I don't really know. But I'm sure there are better countries we can ally ourselves with than someone whose human rights violations are so blatant.
In our Christian life, we have choices to make. Lay out our strategies now to ensure our future victories.
As I read more of The Art of War, and see its christian applications, I'll write more.
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1 comment:
Good Job.
But it doesn't sound like
a book I will be picking up to read.
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