When I Grow Up
I watched a video a few days ago, where some youths were asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Some of the answers were, a chef, policeman, doctor, teacher, footballer, scientist, and a business person. The interviewer then asked whether they knew what was required to achieve their desired position. It was then pointed out that with every occupation or position comes responsibilities and expectations.
When someone becomes a Christian there are responsibilities to be assumed and expectations placed upon us. We are not just free to do whatever tickles our fancy. There is an identity we grow into. We, like a tree developing and slowly maturing, begin to reveal our true nature by the fruit we produce. Our fruit identifies or testifies publicly what we are or to what “species” we belong. Christ followers should not only claim to be Jesus’ disciples, we should become more and more like him.
The apostle Paul told Timothy, the young pastor, that he “should endure hardship like a good soldier of Jesus Christ “. (2 Timothy 2:3) There are certain characteristics that he should develop. Every Christian should demonstrate the qualities of a good soldier. Soldiers are trained so as to be able to carry out their assigned tasks, and to do so effectively.
Obedience is an essential quality for a good soldier. A soldier must do the will of their superior officer. Obedience requires knowledge and that requires paying attention to the instructions given. Then, perhaps the most difficult step is surrender to the will of your superior. The soldier, if a good one, obeys not only when it is pleasant or convenient, but at all times, convenient or not, pleasant or difficult, popular or not. The choice is to obey or not.
The good soldier who knows his commander, will stand with his commander, who he knows does what is right. We are soldiers of Jesus Christ. The good soldier of Christ stands where Jesus stands, resists what Jesus resisted. We champion those Jesus championed, and defend the ones he defended.
Why do Christians start schools? Because Jesus came teaching and educating. Why do Christians start hospitals and clinics? Because Jesus came and healed and he told his disciples to go and teach and heal. Like obedient soldiers we feed the hungry, we teach truth and equip people to not only feed themselves, but to assist and enable others to do the same.
Christians follow their leader into battle, like good soldiers. We stand for justice and work to set free those who are enslaved to addictions of all kinds, even the imprisonment of power, wealth, dishonest manipulations or abuse of workers, and the distortion of laws for personal advancement. Like Jesus, we show our true colors by the choices we make, and to what or whom we surrender. The good soldier, like Jesus, will sometimes take his stand alone defending truth to his own discomfort, suffering and loss. Jesus demonstrated his love for his Father by obeying and doing the will of his Father. Jesus says to his disciples, “if you love me you will keep my commandments.”
Christ our Lord came to bring victory over sin and death. He surrendered his will to that of his Father. He came to win. And he won at the cost of his life. We follow our leader into battle and stand together with him defending truth, seeking righteousness, upholding justice, demonstrating compassion, demanding wrongs to be righted and evil to be confronted. Like Jesus we take a stand that calls to the strong and mighty, to the poor and needy to come take up your cross daily and follow him. Join the army of Jesus Christ that receives its commission from the King of kings.
When I Grow Up this is the commission I received as a Christ soldier:
So send I you to take to souls in bondage, the Word of truth that sets the captives free, to break the bonds of sin, to loose deaths’ fetters, so send I you to bring the lost to me. (Song: So Send I You)
The good soldier receives a commission, and is sent to make a difference. We make a difference by following and obeying our Savior and Lord, who not only calls us to receive life, but sends us to give life, and to proclaim and demonstrate his rule in every sphere of life. I pray my fruit clearly reveals who my commander in chief is.
Thanks for listening.