PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Veteran’s Day was yesterday and with it, came the recognition that our servicemen and women (both active and retired) so richly deserve.
A veteran is defined as a person who has served in the military, but an additional definition is “a person of long experience usually in some occupation or skill.” As I saw Veteran’s Day posts on social media and heard about Veteran’s Day specials on the radio, I thought about our own veteran status as Christians.
On the day you and I prayed for Jesus to save us, we were enlisted as Christian soldiers. And soldiers have responsibilities. We obey the instructions and will of our Commanding Officer, who is God our Heavenly Father (Acts 5:29). We are also recruiters through the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20). And we surrender ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit who lives in the heart of every Christian (Galatians 5:16).
Let’s go to 2 Timothy 2:4 ESV, which says, “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
If our mission as Christians is to act in obedience, share the Gospel, and be led by the Spirit, then Paul’s military illustration in 2 Timothy is a no brainer. Soldiers don’t go their own way, otherwise, there’s anarchy. While some of us have gone AWOL from time-to-time, our Commanding Officer is always willing to forgive us when we return in repentance.
Just as we recognized the service of our military personnel yesterday, let’s examine our own enlistment status. Let’s ensure we are seeking to please our Heavenly Father.
Today, as you pray, thank Jesus for accepting you into His army of believers. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to be focused on your Christian mission—today and every day, seeking to please Him.
