Ready For Battle??

There once was an army that was engaged in a battle.  The warfare was constant.  The enemy was strong.  Vigilance was expected.  Danger was imminent.

As a result, from the Colonel to the private, everyone was on high alert.  Soldiers were being trained daily.  They were tested for competency, skill, strength and durability.  Failing any of these tests was not an option, as it proved that you were not ready for battle, and the outcome of being unprepared could be deadly for the soldier, his company, and ultimately the entire army.  Laziness could not be tolerated.  Anything less than perfection was critiqued, and imperfections were improved by training, practice, and discipline. No one took vacation - no one went on break - no one would dream of resting on the job.  They could not, they would not leave their position to allow the enemy to advance.

Eventually, they drove back their foe.  Their enemy ran and retreated.  They had protected their position, and had even gained on the enemy.  No longer did he have any power or position, he was impotent and laid waste.  Or at least that was what they had begun to believe.  Actually, the enemy was dormant, he was in hiding, he was recalculating, reevaluating his position.

Over the course of time, the soldiers began to rest.  They began to grow comfortable.  They forgot about the struggles of war, the difficulty of battle, the danger of their enemy.  They allowed their weapons to accumulate dust.  They no longer honed their skills.  They began to rest in the freedom that they had.

Eventually, this group of soldiers aged and many died.  A new generation of soldiers had grown up after them.  A more relaxed group of soldiers.  Never had they tasted war.  Never had their skills been tested by real battle.  Instead, they practiced on occasion.  Mistakes were corrected as necessary, but those who strove for excellence were mocked by the others. These soldiers were satisfied with being relaxed and comfortable, and when training caused them discomfort, they sought to ease their pain in any way possible.  They were a soft bunch - primed and ready for the enemy to attack.

Which is exactly what happened.  Although not as you would expect.  You see, as the enemy sat back and watched, he realized that a full frontal assault would raise up a new generation of soldiers ready for battle, and those who were not ready now would begin to prepare.  Instead, he concluded that if he could just infiltrate the army, he could destroy them from within.  From the officers to the newest recruits, if he could convince them that there was no battle, there was nothing to prepare for, there was no enemy, he would eventually conquer them from the inside out.

How do I keep this from happening?  I need to remind myself that I am in a battle - a bloody warfare - every day.  I am the officer in charge of the next generation, and it is my duty to prepare them for the battle.  So I must first prepare myself for war, and then prepare those set to my charge.

So my question to me today is - Am I Ready?