Like a Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

In my five years of living in the UK, I became really appreciative of English humour. People here banter, make puns, pull each other’s legs, and all sort of things. I became a huge fan of Monty Python, and, as time allows, I enjoy reading other comedy too. But the other day I was caught up by a short story of how a prank backfired in the military.

According to the story, in the army, some new recruits wanted to fool their commander during the training exercises. They were practising throwing grenades. Their task was to, one by one, throw a live grenade out of a practice trench to get used to the explosions. With all the recruits in on the prank, they replaced the live grenade with a fake. When it came to throwing the grenade out of the trench, the soldier who was to pull the act off, instead of throwing the grenade away, pretended to accidentally drop it in the trench. To the shock of all gathered around, the commander shoved the soldier to the ground and threw himself on the grenade. The next few seconds of silence was absolutely unbearable, as the recruits realised just how ready their commander was to give his own life for his squad.

At this moment, I lifted my head from reading and said out loud to myself: “I wish I had a chance to serve under a commander like that”. It wasn’t until a couple seconds later that I realised just how much my ‘Commander’, Christ Jesus, is like the one in the story above. It stirred my heart to consider anew His call on my life.

Today, as you start your day, commit your ways to the Lord, who gave His own life to recruit you into His squad. You’ve specifically been handpicked for such a time as this, with a great calling, that His ‘will may be done on earth as it is in heaven’. I bet angelic beings, who see Him face to face, are quick to do immediately, exactly and precisely as He commands. Before you opened your eyes this morning, God already knew the situations and circumstances you’ll face, the people you’ll meet, and the opportunities you’ll have today.

As we see in the movies, secret agents on a mission, or soldiers on active duty, may seem like ordinary folk, playing golf, or doing their garden, but when instructions come on the intercom, they drop whatever they were doing to go about their mission, without hesitation. It’s the same for you, whether you work in an office or hospital, whether you look after the house, fix cars, or teach, remember to not entangle yourself with the things of this life. Always keep an ear open to God through all the things you do. Be ready and alert to hear the whisper of His Spirit directing you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You for the sacrifice that You’ve made, and that You call me personally, with such power, to follow You. Help me, Lord, as I learn to be quick to follow Your instructions fully. I put my trust in You, and I yield myself anew to Your plans for me today. Thank You, that You’ve sent Your Holy Spirit, as promised, to guide me in all things. Amen.