“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:1-4 (KJV)
A cacophony of greetings and congratulations greeted me when I arrived. It was my first Sunday in a new church after my ordination.
“Thank you!” I replied, returning their smiles and handshakes.
I walked down the hall to the pastor’s office, wondering if I could do this job. Every day would be filled with new opportunities, new challenges, new stresses. My smile began to fade. During the Bishop’s interview, I was sure that I was called and ready to accept a pastorate. Now, with the full pastoral responsibilities up close and personal, I was less confident.
Sinking into a chair, I was reminded of experiences in Viet Nam. Our company commander had informed me that I would be “walking point” for the entire company. I would be the eyes and ears for all the men coming behind. They would be safe or in danger based on what I did and how I reacted to occurring circumstances.
There is no training for the point man. His must be an on-the-job-training exercise. Given the extreme nature of the dangers involved, there is a high turnover in this position. No one would be blamed for asking, “Sir, couldn’t you get some else?” But, that is not an option for a soldier in combat conditions. He receives his orders and does the job. It was a monstrous sacrifice to ask of an eighteen year old. As the point man, the lives of other young men were in my hands. I had to place myself in danger so that they might be safe.
Others had fulfilled these responsibilities before me, some survived some didn’t. And now there was no turning back, I was ordered to “take point and lead out.” The whole company stood there waiting for me to start. As I took a deep breath and led off, I thought of my mother. Back home in Alabama, some 13,000 miles away, I knew she was praying for me.
Now years later, it was time to walk point again, for a different commander. This congregation would take its cues from its pastor. They would believe or not based on what I preached. Where should I begin? I walked over to the telephone and dialed my mother’s number.
Dear Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Empower us with grace to faithfully fulfill our responsibilities in your kingdom. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today as a soldier of Jesus Christ,