Eye of the Tiger
Soaking in my usual mysterious wonder, I sat and thought about what the lyrics to the song, “EYE OF TIGER” mean for the first time ever. I had heard it all my life and can recall dramatizing the lyrics with my hairbrush microphone in my yellow scallop-edged mirror. The beat was intense & driving and it pumped me up inside.
Interestingly, the Piano Guys recorded a more melancholy version that resonated with me so much, I just HAD to sing it out once more. (Scroll down to hear my cover version with the Piano Guys) Although I thought the song was about dancing in the mirror, according to expert Ronon Marketing, the song is about restoring motivation. It was from a scene in the Rocky III movie. (See original article below)
Throughout the ages, and especially today, having the will to fight the enemy is something I can relate to. Often it feels like we have three enemies. First, there is the enemy we know as satan (or “Ha Satan” in Hebrew) He seeks to destroy us by whispering lies in our ear and by seducing us to draw further and further from the one true loving God, counselor, and friend who wants to guide us.
There is also the enemy of disease and the hardships of life we struggle to cope with. Thankfully, Peace floods our souls as we learn we are powerless over people, places, and things. Instead, we take actions to self-advocate & improve the quality of our environment by changing our behavior and responses when we can.
As the life-changing prayer goes:
“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”
I happen to know the pain of loneliness, loss, rejection, and shunning. I experienced these hardships many years ago in our community & I experienced the pain of losing a loved one when my mother passed this February of COVID. Thank God today, we have found a group that loves, accepts, and celebrates us! They have been instrumental in restoring my joy and hope. Love has shown me God can restore all.
Finally, worst of all, there is the enemy of ourselves, our own thoughts and negative mindsets, attitudes, and perceptions. We LOSE MOTIVATION & we must resist this enemy of the mind! (Except when we are directed to temporarily rest or change strategies/visions)
How do we resist our enemies?
Besides asking God for the will to fight, as the Eye of the Tiger song says, we need to be “rising up, back on the street.” We need to be “back on our feet…with the will to survive.” I’m learning I need to never trade the joy of my life’s passions for the empty lie that fame and the applause of glory the world will satisfy.
However, I commit NOT trade my passion for glory. I commit to love the passion GIVER more than the passion.
Our Almighty God has given us the will to stand up and not to back down. All throughout the Bible, He tells us to rise up, wake up and get up. The enemy is like a roaring lion seeking to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) We must resist and flee. We stand on the promise that the same power that raised Messiah from the dead DWELLS IN us. Greater is HE who lives in you and me than he that is in the world.
"The Spirit of God, who raised Yeshua from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Messiah from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you." Romans 8:11
In conclusion, let us now “Rise up to the challenge of our rival!” While we might NOT always FEEL the thrill of the fight, and God knows it’s easy to lose our grip, we must remain UNSTOPPABLE. If we no longer have the will to fight, we can PRAY for the will to fight. God fights for us, in us, & through us everyday. (Exodus 14:14, Romans 11:33)
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EYE OF THE TIGER LYRICS
by Frankie Sullivan & J Peterik
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
CHORUS:
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all
With the eye of the tiger
Verse 2
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
Verse 3
Rising up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive
(CHORUS)
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This article was inspired by the scriptures, the Ronan Marketing article below, & The Piano Guys!
https://www.ronin.com.au/business-entrepreneurs-lessons-learned-from-survivors-eye-of-the-tiger/#gf_4
Excerpt from the article above: “Eye of the Tiger is a triple whammy of motivational stories! The song itself is a pump-up anthem tied to one of the best motivational film series of all time…story of success for Survivor…”
#eyeofthetiger #RonanMarketing #inspirationalmusic #messianic #sarahbrightman #Joshgroben #Enya #israeliworship #christiancontemporarymusic #martygoetz #tedpearce #joshuaaaron