On December 7th 1941, a day that lives in infamy, when the Empire of Japan bombed the US Navy fleet at Pearl Harbor. There was no need for the US to employ a draft. Many men heard the call of duty to lay down their lives for the country in which they lived. Today, the political and social world is not like that of the 1940’s. The world is in just as direr of a state as it was in 1941, but fewer people are hearing the call to duty. I am talking about the voice of God calling to his people to go to war for his just cause. To many people are too busy answering the call to their video game (like Call of Duty), the call or text on their phone or the call to do their own will, then to hear the call of duty that God has for them. Every person in this world has a duty to preform – and it is God given. Paul is instructing his son in the faith, Timothy and writes the following:
2 Timothy 2:1-5
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 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.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 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.
These words were intended primarily for Timothy, but they were inspired by God, also, for our admonition and learning. Paul is writing from bonds and we know some of the great things that he would endure as a soldier of Christ. His end would be a beheading by the Roman Emperor Nero. Paul is not sounding a battle cry for Timothy that he had not already answered. He knew the battle was real; he was in the thick of it.
Today, it seams that men and women don’t know that when they answered God’s call to salvation they were simultaneously called to be soldiers in a war. The enemy certainly is fighting against everything that is right but there is no battle cry being sounded. In America, Christianity is all about prosperity. “What can I get from God?” There are people going through real trials and struggles but the war is about much more than sickness and death. We are called to endure hardness, but not for the sake of enduring. We are not just suppose to endure the world around us, but war against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
There is a sweet couple that go to our church. They are in their 80’s and she is experiencing some major health problems and pain. She is called by God to stay faithful to her husband and her church, have a renewed mind, and encourage the saints. She takes this call seriously and has taken the charge to love my daughters. The last few weeks she has been unable to come to church, but has been faithful to love on my family through the struggles that she faces. She wrote a simple note to my girls, while she is in constant pain. Not complaining, just trying to encourage This is the power of Christ.
We are called to endure hardness, not just so that we can stay alive. It is because we have a job to do, and the job requires endurance through pain, suffering, and enemies attacking on all fronts. No matter what God has called us to, it will require us to endure the unique trials of our life.
If a football coach told his player to run a lap, obeying his coach would mean he had to go through some momentary hardship. The coach of a 2nd grade football team is going to demand a certain amount of commitment from his players. If that same level was given to a collage team, they would think it was a joke. their bodies are already so well-conditioned that the little bit of requirements placed on them would not be challenging.
We all are going to have different things we must endure and in the moment those things seam hard. God knows how to train us for his use and will use us for his purposes if we let him. We must not murmur and complain about the trials that God is allowing us to go through, because he has a plan in it all. Furthermore, if we want to be use by God, he is going to put the pressure on. Do you struggle to get into the Word of God every day when things are relatively good? Are you failing to have family devotion when you really could? Are you not getting into the special place of prayer often, even though you are still eating food, watching TV, playing games?
If that is true, it sounds like you haven’t answered the call. God demands for us to read our Bibles daily. We desire for us to get into his presence often. He is wanting us to be used to encourage others, lead souls to him, and guide young minds to live for him. He wants us to minister to others. He longs for us to be usable, so that he can get glory by using us. But few are answering the call.
The call to fight against the flesh. Wake up early to get into his presence. Stay long on our knees before his throne. Endure hardships of life with thanksgivers in our hearts. To fight against the desires for sin in your own life. We must answer the call. God has a call on your life, and it is a call to duty, despite the circumstances.
S.T.
Acts 20:24
"None of these things move me..."
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