Dave’s Monday Blast – June 3, 2019
I know I am a week late specific to Memorial Day but I was out of town last Monday so I wanted to share the “guts” of an article by retired United States Air Force four-star general Roger Brady specific to this Day of Remembrance. At one time Brady had command and control over an area of operations covering almost one-fifth of the globe with advanced studies at Columbia and Harvard. Brady was one of our nations’s most distinguished military leaders. He is also a committed follower of Jesus.
Writing for Christianity Today, Brady reflects on Memorial Day: “Most Americans will never serve in the military, actually less than one percent of our population do so. And even among those of us who do, very few of us are asked to give that last full measure of devotion. So what is the question for us on this day as we remember those Americans who died on our behalf? I believe that question is … for what shall we live?”
Brady the offers his answer: “Whether or not we wear the uniform of our country, we all have a service to offer, a service to those ideals that reflect God’s universal truths and that our American ancestors captured in the formation of this country. When Jesus left this earth to take his place at the right hand of the Father, He left us, His bride, the church, to carry on His work. So when evil strikes in the form of a school shooting or when nature unleashes its fury and devastates property and lives, when children suffer, when people are hungry or homeless and ask ‘Where is God?!’ we must be there and have them see Him in us.”
This is a powerful thought. When people ask where God is in their suffering, they deserve to find Him in His followers. And our Father deserves such service from us. I encourage you to listen to Matthew West’s song, “Do Something.”
Brady concludes: “So on Memorial Day, and every day, we need to ask ourselves: For what shall we live? How are we doing at fulfilling not just the ideals of our American forefathers but those universal values set in place by the One who made us in His image, who sent His only begotten Son to secure our salvation, the One who ‘created us in Him to do good works?'” (Ephesians 2:10)
Two questions:
1. For what are you living today?
2. For what should you be living today?
When asked in Mark 12:28, 30 – 31, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” To obey our Master’s Great Commandments, we should ask of everything we do this day: “How will this express love for my Father and my neighbor?”
If our purpose is defined by the Great Commandments (and it must be as INTENTIONAL followers), when our lives are over, our legacy will only have begun.
