Are You a Mercenary or a Knight?
I was recently reading a popular author in the realm of Christian masculinity. I had read the book before, but this time something landed with, and convicted, me differently than it had before. The author posed the question I now ask you: are you a mercenary, or a knight?
While this question can resonate with women, the answer for a man plays out in a more central way. Men need a mission; we need a battle to fight; in many ways physically and psychologically we were designed to strive and build and do battle. While this innate dynamic has at times played out negatively (more on this to come), it has also been used to defend the defenseless, produce abundance, and save both lives and souls since the beginning of time. Men, you will strive and battle; the question is will you do it as a mercenary or a knight?
The Mercenary
The core difference between a mercenary and a knight is why they fight. Simply put, the mercenary fights for himself. He strives toward his own rewards, recognition, and comfort. He has no loyalty except to the highest bidder. As the movies portray, many mercenaries are good at specific things they do; they’ve developed some skills in some areas by simply surviving this long. But at the end of the day it is clear that he makes his choices based on what is convenient, safe, and profitable for him.
As sad as it is to admit, we no longer walk around in our day to day lives with bags of gold coins or swords… but I’ve definitely lived my life like a mercenary more than I’d like to admit. Have you?
What drives you?
How much does your energy depend on the reward?
Does your life flow out of a greater calling?
Do you live with conviction, or simply float along towards whatever comfort or convenience you can grab?
How often do you choose ease, safety, or profit over meaningful, good, and right?
When we live life as a mercenary, we admittedly may do just fine… we may even feel like things are going great for a time… but the path will inevitably lead where you don’t want to go. Burnout, emptiness, shallow relationships, or even just an unshakable angst… all of these things are the fruit of living life as a mercenary. Thankfully, there is another way to live, battle and build!
The Knight
While the mercenary fights only for himself, the knight stands for something greater. He sets aside rewards, recognition, and comfort to strive for greater things: faith, family, mission, values, and convictions. He has skills not merely from surviving, but from training for the battle he knows is at hand. He has courage, discipline and loyalty to those entrusted to his care and protection. While the mercenary gives himself to comfort and personal gain, the knight fights even when the battle is hard and the reward isn’t guaranteed. He makes his choices for the good of his cause and those in his care, and acts on those choices with conviction and integrity.
If you’re like many men I know, this kind of picture feels a bit out of reach; the good news is it doesn’t have to be!
To what cause outside of, and bigger than, yourself could you commit your strength?
Who has been entrusted to your care?
What are your convictions? Where can you stop compromising?
These questions and the actions described below can help guide into the life of a knight; a life that is intentional, whole, and full of the peace only possible when one knows who they are and to Whom they belong as they fight the good fight.
Living as a Knight
I want to be clear: this is not something I’ve mastered nor have I arrived in any way. What I would like to offer, though, are some practical steps you can take to shift from battling for selfish gain to batting for something greater than yourself.
Decide What… and Who… You’re Fighting For:
The first action step is to make a list. What are you fighting for? Who are you fighting for? What are your principles and convictions? What is your vocation or calling independent of your job? What legacy do you want to leave? What are the core tenets of your faith? There are a host of other questions, but these will get you started on taking an honest inventory of the things and people big enough to commit yourself to!
Daily Preparation:
If we want to show up like knights in our own worlds, we have to prepare like they did: consistently. Choose an area of life you want to grow in and prepare in that area every day for a month and see what happens! Will you exercise? Journal? Encourage someone? Learn something new? Prepare daily, knowing that your efforts are contributing to something too big to give comfort and temptation a vote!
Find More Knights:
Knights rarely fight alone; we were designed to go to battle against evil allied with good. Surround yourself with men who challenge and support you. This could be friends, prayer groups, professional or spiritual mentors, or a host of other avenues. Whatever it looks like in your context, do not attempt to go about life’s journey solo. It might take some searching, but who can you trust to fight alongside you, hold you accountable, and encourage you in who you’re striving to become?
Closing
The mercenary seeks his own gain; the knight seeks the gain of others. The mercenary chases selfishly; the knight stands with conviction. The contrasts run deep and wide, and the question is: which will you choose? If you want help clarifying what you’re fighting for, building daily habits of preparation, and battling as a knight rather than a mercenary, I offer one-on-one coaching for men who want to live their life and faith with impact! Click here to learn more!
