Controlled By Love

Are there things in life so important that we are captivated by it? Not only are we captivated, but we find pleasure in serving it?

I am reading Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way, by W. Brad Johnson and Gregory P. Harper. There is a chapter about commitment where the authors discuss how the Navy instills commitment into the character of midshipmen. They write, “Midshipmen harbor a sense of meaning and purpose about their work that most businesses seldom seem to conjure up from employees. Midshipmen understand that they are part of something important, something larger than themselves. This understanding allows them to make considerable sacrifice en route to becoming Navy and Marine Corps officers” (p. 41).

What causes a man or woman to undergo hardship, yet stay true to the mission? What causes a POW to be tortured everyday, yet remain loyal to country and fellow soldiers? What causes a cadet or midshipman to remain in the tough conditions of training during their college years? They are captured by a mission that is greater than themselves.

To be a disciple of Jesus requires commitment. We have seen that Jesus requires us to have a supreme and incomparable love and commitment to Him if we are to continue as disciples. Paul, in the book of 2 Corinthians, states that the love of Christ demonstrated to him has captivated him and controls him.

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” – 2 Cor 5:14-15

This word “controls” has the idea of being pressed in on both sides so that we cannot move. The pressure on both sides controls us. Like a vice grip holds an object in place and controls it,  so Paul is pressed in on both sides by the love of Christ. He cannot help but be controlled by such a love.

How do we develop the character trait of commitment in our own lives? Get to know Christ more! The more we understand the love of Christ for us, the more it will control us. The more we understand the will of Christ for our lives, the more we will be committed to pleasing him.

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” – 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Father, today I commit my heart, mind, and hands to you. You are my greatest desire.

Giving It All

I just started reading a book called, Valor: A Gathering of Eagles. I can hardly put it down. It is advise from Medal of Honor winners about life, faith, purpose, success, etc. These men have faced death and reacted with great character. They experience some life issues that many of us will never taste. Therefore, they have great depth of insight into some of the character qualities that both military men and women and disciples of Jesus are called to possess. I am reading the section about First Sergeant Nicky D. Bacon, U.S. Army (Ret.) and his heroics in Vietnam and his advise to us. He describes a Hero’s heart as “a personal love for those around you because you know they would do the same for you.” He goes on to say,

“As always during the battle, I prayed as often as possible while dodging bullets, rocket fire, and hand grenades. Why God lets some of us live and others die I will never know, but I do know this: A man can live a lifetime helping others, but no one can give more in a lifetime than my friends gave in just one moment of time.”

First Sergeant Bacon was able to witness a level of love for another that many of us will never see. He watched as many of his friends gave their lives out of love for each other. He witnessed others put their lives on the line to rescue others trapped in a firefight. He personally put his life on the line many times to try and save the lives of others. He watched as his friends gave more in that moment of time than others will give in a lifetime.

What a depth of understanding Bacon must have for how much His Lord gave for him in one moment in time. How Jesus in one moment in time out of love for us, gave more than anyone has ever given. In one moment, Jesus died for us. He died because He loves us. We are His friends.

Bacon says, “In combat, my faith in God grew as did m respect for the word ‘honor.’” Honor comes from doing the right thing for another. Honor comes from loving others above yourself. It comes from serving others. Jesus said that all men will know that we are His disciples if we have love for one another. How deep should that love go? Can it go as deep as those who give their lives for their friends in combat? Yes. If we have never been in combat, how do we learn this depth of love? We learn from Jesus who tells us to love one another as He has loved us. His love is demonstrated in that one climactic act of love on the cross. As we receive and understand His love for us, we can reflect that love to others.

How will you demonstrate the love of Jesus for another today? How will you serve another today?

Father in heaven, allow the depth of the love of Jesus to be lived out in me today.

Mission, People

“Accomplish the mission and take care of your soldiers.” That is the ultimate task of an Army soldier as stated in the Army, Field Manual 22-100. Everything in the Army strives to accomplish these two tasks.

In a previous post, I wrote about the two tasks of a leader; to courageously lead people out in the cause and to bring people in to take care of them. I would like to reflect on this in more detail. In all my years in campus ministry, I have observed two elements that must be present on a campus to see real progress in advancing the kingdom of God.

1. Students must be clear on their mission.
2. Students must bond together in a small group of deep friendships that are committed to the same mission.

If one of these elements were missing, there would be no significant change in the ROTC, Academy, or campus. There may be individual growth in the Lord, but no cultural changes on a campus.

Mission – The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The imperative verb in this passage is make disciples. Go, baptize, and teach are participles that modify the main verb, make disciples. They tell how to make disciples. So, we are to make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching. For now, let’s focus on what it means to make disciples. Later, I will expand on what it means to go, baptize, and teach.

In the military, you are a learner. You learn how to behave and act as a military person. Even in peacetime, you are learning to make war. You are also a teacher. You are teaching others how to behave and act as a military person. This is a great picture of what discipleship looks like.

The word disciple simply means learner. A disciple learns how to behave and act. Jesus calls us to be His disciples. We are to learn from Him. We are to act like Him. We are to become Christ-like. As disciples, we are to make disciples. We are to make learners of Jesus.
The military is full of volunteers. They volunteer to enter the military and be trained to become a military man or woman. We are to make disciples of those who desire to follow Jesus. And we are to recruit more volunteers in order to make more disciples.

This mission begins where you are. It begins in your company, in your dorm, in your circle of influence. But that is just the starting point. It goes to all nations. We are to make disciple of all nations. If you make disciple where you are, and they in turn make disciples of others wherever they go for the rest of their lives, think of the impact all over the world as we all fulfill the mission to make disciples throughout our entire lives.

Are you a learner of Jesus? Are you a disciple? Begin by reading the stories of the life of Christ, the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke , John).
Are you making disciples? Begin by talking to others about Christ. Teach them what you are learning. Challenge them to learn about Jesus and follow Him.

People – Love one Another (John 13:34).

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Just before Jesus gave this command to His disciples, He washed their feet and told them to go and do the same for each other. If this group of disciples were going to accomplish the mission, they would need each other and would have to take care of each other.

When I joined the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M, one of the first things they taught us as freshmen was to love and take care of each other. We were no longer individuals looking out for our own interests, we were a group looking out for each other. We did everything together, even cleaning the bathroom floors with our toothbrushes (yes, I got another for my teeth). Only when we were acting as one could we accomplish all the missions that were required of us.

The Great Commission cannot be accomplished on our own. The mission of making disciples on your base or campus cannot be done alone. Who do you know that you can bond together with to pursue our Lord’s mission? Simply start by asking your friends to join together once a week to pray that God would use you to make disciples of others. Pray for people, your base or campus, and nations. Begin a study of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Purpose of Freedom

 What is the purpose of freedom? If we are slaves, our desires are for freedom. Once we are free, what should our desires turn to?

In my own life and watching the lives of others, I have learned that freedom can turn to slavery of a different kind. If I am poor, I seek to be freed from poverty. Once I gain enough money to be free from poverty, I can turn my desires to protect my wealth, returning to a different form of slavery. I am now serving the money that set me free from poverty. That slavery turns to self-protection, greed, fear, and distrust of others.

The God-designed purpose for freedom is to serve one another. If we are free, then we no longer need to worry about ourselves, so we can turn our focus to others and serve them. However, as we serve others, we feel our freedom being challenged. We give up our rights to serve others. Is there a freedom that sustains us even if we are servants of others?

Military men and women have made a career out of serving others. They have as free men and women decided to serve others as a career. They take their freedom and safety and serve others so that they may be free and safe. Their complete freedom seems to be forfeited to serve others. They must deploy: they must leave family: they must move. Is there a freedom that goes deeper than circumstances? Is there a freedom that is eternal that can sustain us even though we spend a lifetime serving others?

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Christ set us free, once and for all eternity. If we owed God anything, if we lacked anything standing before God, Jesus freed us.  There is nothing you need that He has not provided. You cannot increase your standing before God by working, protecting, or earning anything. He has set you free from all things lacking in your life.  Do not place this burden back on yourselves. God gave us salvation as a gift, why would you then try and earn it. It is free, and it is eternal, that covers it all. Nothing left for you to do. Since we are free, what should we do?

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:13-15

If we are completely free, eternally, then we can focus on others because we are taken care of. I often think how much more I would help others if my financial needs were met in abundance. I would quit thinking about how to take care of my family, and I could completely focus on the needs of others. Well, that is what Jesus did for us. He completely took care of us, forever, so we can focus on serving the needs of others, forever.

The strength to serve in the military can be sustained by the freedom that Christ has given us. God loves you, Jesus died for you, the Spirit sustains you So no matter what the circumstances, you can completely serve others. Ah, what freedom to be released from serving myself! I am complete forever. I am free to serve others.

Father in heaven, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to serve me, making me complete. Help me serve others as Jesus has served me.

Warrior Ethos - Disciple Ethos

What binds all disciples together? What are the common values of a disciple?

I have been reading about the Army’s Warrior Ethos and have been thinking about a Disciple Ethos. The Army describes the Warrior Ethos as…

“a set of principles by which every Soldier lives. In a broader sense, the Warrior Ethos is a way of life that applies to our personal and professional lives as well. They define who we are and who we aspire to become.” – Army.mil website

The seven character qualities are also a set of values or principles that Jesus said must be part of every disciple. He uses phrases such as, “then you are truly disciples of mine”, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must”, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples.” On the contrary, Jesus warns us of the outcomes of not following these principles with phrases such as, “none of you can be My disciple who does not”, “he cannot be My disciple”, “is not worthy of Me.”

The Army describes the Warrior Ethos as a way of life.

The Warrior Ethos “- is a set of principles by which every Soldier lives. In a broader sense, the Warrior Ethos is a way of life that applies to our personal and professional lives as well. It makes us better people in general – better husbands; better wives; better sons and daughters; better brothers and sisters.” – Army.mil website

Here is the Warrior Ethos…

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade behind.

The Disciple Ethos is also a way of life. It permeates not just one areas of our lives, but every area. It describes who we are that then permeates all that we do. Our relationship with Christ is not just first priority of many, it is first in every other relationship and responsibility. It determines who we are in other relationships. Our goal is to become Christ-like. To be a disciple is to be a person in process who is continually learning about Christ and obeying Him so that we become more and more like Him. Therefore, we become like him in our relationships as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends, warriors, etc… So what might a Disciple Ethos look like if we live by the seven character qualities of a disciple?

I will love Christ supremely and forever. (CQ 1)

I will commit to knowing and obeying Christ. (CQ 2)

I will submit to following Christ through self-sacrifice. (CQ 3,4,5)

I will recognize that all my possessions belong to God. (CQ 6)

I will love others as Christ has loved me. (CQ 7)

I have combined CQ 3, 4, and 5 into the single phrase, “I will submit to Christ through self-sacrifice.” The three CQs are a logical progression that goes together.

This is a first stab at thinking through a Disciple Ethos. It is important to take the qualities of a disciple and think through how we can make them part of who we really are. God desires to change who we are through the work of Christ. Who are you? Do you have a Disciple Ethos?

Father in heaven, form in me the Ethos of Jesus.

Harm’s Way

We have made two moves in our lives in which we have moved away from family and familiarity. We have yanked our kids away from family and friends to follow where we believed God was leading us. When we arrived in our new location, there was longing to return to what was familiar. I remember during our first move, sleeping on the floor of a duplex with my kids on the floor next to me in which we had tracked the neighbor’s dog poop all over the rug thinking, “What have I done?”

My experiences do not even compare to a military men or women who find themselves lying on a desert floor far away from their families. Their kids lying in bed back home with no Mom or Dad to kiss them goodnight; a spouse back home sleeping alone for a year. One might question whether their decision to serve in the military is causing too much physical or emotional damage. Military men, women, and their families know what it means to put their families in harm’s way to serve in the military.

A Big Question: Can we trust God to take care of our families when He asks us to do things that seem like it will put our families in harm’s way?

Numbers, chapter 14 addresses this issue. God had given the promise land to the people of Israel. All they needed to do was to go in and take it. Moses sent out twelve men to spy out the land. When they returned, two said they could take it based on God’s promise, ten said they would perish because of the occupants of the land. When the people of Israel heard the reports, here was their response:

Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” – Numbers 14:3-3

Two spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed God would take care of their families as they carried out His good will. Ten spies and all the people did not. They put their families above the will of God. There is a danger as we put our families first in life to put them above God in priority. If God is going to accomplish His work to redeem the world from a hostile enemy, will it not be dangerous? If God is going to set captives free and bring salvation to all nations, will it not require sacrifice? But even in the midst of sacrifice, God promises to bless us for eternity. God put His only Son in harm’s way, even to death so that He could redeem us. And then He highly exalted His son for all eternity. We receive our example from His Son, Jesus, who trusted and obeyed God till death.

How did God respond to the response of the people of Israel? If the people would not keep God as their number one priority because they exalted their family above God, how would God respond? Notice what God says about their kids.

“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;  your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. ‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. ‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. - Numbers 14:28-31

God does take care of their kids. He intended to deliver the whole nation into the promise land, but because the people refused to trust Him, they forfeited the blessing. God would show His sovereignty and power to us all by fulfilling His promise through the children. History shows that they did enter the promise land and they did conquer it, just as God promised.

If God takes care of our kids even in the midst of parental unfaithfulness, how much more can He accomplish in them through our faithfulness. God does not promise to deliver our families from harm, but He does promise to love them, to be with them, to be a comfort and peace. He promises to make Himself known to them. He promises to demonstrate His faithfulness through all generations.

Lord, I desire to remain faithful and obedient to you and trust you to take care of my family.

The Will to Keep Going

The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual defines Will as “the inner drive that compels soldiers and leaders to keep going when they are exhausted, hungry, afraid, cold, and wet – when it would be easier to quit.” It goes on to say, “The leader’s task is to develop a winning spirit by building their subordinates’ will as well as the skill.”

At the heart of a soldier is the Will to continue when it gets tough. A soldier will be pushed beyond his/her limits and it is only the will to decide to continue that keeps them going. When a soldier is looking down the barrel of a gun, he/she must make the decision of the will to keep moving forward in the face of death in order to continue the duties of a servant soldier.

At the heart of a disciple of Jesus is the Will to continue to the end: the will to persevere to the end. This will is not based on personal self-belief or abilities, but it is based on the person and purpose of Christ in our life. Jesus endured to the end, so can we. Jesus willed to do the will of the Father all the way to death, so can we because He is in us. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

Jesus says that disciples will love him supremely and will love others as He has loved us. That is what we are to be and do. But we must decide that that is what we WILL be and do. Peter faced this personal battle of the will in Mark 8. Jesus had just told the disciples that He must suffer and die at the hands of the Jewish leaders. Peter responded to this news by rebuking Jesus. This was not in His plans. He had followed Jesus this far, but this was too much. Jesus was requiring too much to be given up; the cost was too high. Jesus gathered the crowd around Him and spoke these words to teach what a disciple must do. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34).

If Peter was to continue in the path of a disciple, he must deny himself as the focus and authority of his own life, he must take up his cross of total submission and sacrifice to the will of God, and he must with allegiance follow Jesus. This is an internal decision of the will. This is a decision to put aside all personal interests in order to fulfill the interest of another.

Military men and women do this everyday for their country. They make a decision of the will to serve their country by setting aside the interests of their families, their friends, and even their own lives in order to serve the interests of all U.S. citizens. If military men and women can make this decision for their country, can we not make this decision for our Lord?

Will you make the daily decision of the will to put Jesus’ interests first? Will you decide to love Him supremely, to love others by serving them?

Father, thank you for deciding as an act of your will to send your Son to redeem me. Strengthen my will so that I may decide daily to serve you.

Be, Know, Do

Do all the things about being a disciple of Jesus or all of the teachings on being a good military man or woman overwhelm you? Is taking in all the information like drinking from a fire hydrant? It is important to summarize teaching s and training into broad categories in order to grasp the big picture. The Army has done it with their leadership framework; let’s apply the same discipleship. By doing so we may be able to get a grasp of the big picture.

The Army sums up it’s leadership philosophy in “Be, Know, Do.”  It makes up the Army’s Leadership Framework. “BE, KNOW, DO clearly and concisely state the characteristics of an Army leader” (The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual, page 7). This framework can also describe the framework of a disciple. Let me summarize the 7 Character Qualities within this framework.

1. Supreme and Incomparable love for Jesus – BE

2. A Regular Study of God’s Word – KNOW

Middle 3 CQ’s are a key ingredient we will look at later.

6. Manage Yourself and Your Possessions as Owned by God – DO

7. Love Others – DO

BE – our identity is rooted in who you are in Christ. You are a child of God. Your relationship with Christ is the core of who you are. Everything else is defined by that relationship. Who you are and your character are centered and rooted in your relationship to Christ.

KNOW – As a disciple, the Word of God is training you for every good work. It trains your senses to know good and evil. The word of God let’s us know who God is, who we are, and what we are to do.

DO – As a disciple we are to manage ourselves and others as God would have it. He owns all we are and all our stuff, so we use it as good steward of God’s stuff. Our actions to others is defined by God’s desires. He loved us, therefore we love others. Our actions to others are centered in love, the desire for the best in the lives of others.

What about CQ’s 3,4,and 5? These three character qualities are where we make the daily decision to Be, Know, and Do. This is where we wrestle with our character; who we really are on the inside. This is an act of the will. Where we determine in our hearts what we are all about.

3. Deny Yourself as the Authority and Focus of One’s Own Life

4. Submit to the Will of God in My Life

5. In Allegiance, Follow Christ

These 3 CQ’s take us from BEING and KNOWING to DOING. Here is the progression:

1. We decide our identity will Be a child of God and place Him as our utmost priority.
2. We get to Know God and what He wants us to do.
3. We then make a decision of the will to deny our interests and follow what we know are His interests.
4. We Do what God wants us to do with ourselves and possessions and we serve others in love.

Lord, may my being a child of God and my knowing the Word of God translate into doing Your will.

Two Tasks of a Leader

As a leader, it seams that there are so many responsibilities. Can we take all of those responsibilities and summarize them so that we can have focus and clarity in the main things we are to accomplish? Joshua had the incredible task of leading millions of people into the land promised to them by God. Let’s take a look at what God said was the primary tasks that Joshua was to accomplish.

When God told Moses he would not lead the people of Israel into the promise land, Moses asked the Lord to appoint another leader. God chose Joshua and spoke of two tasks that Joshua would do with the people of Israel. In Num 27:15-21 we find two tasks appointed to Joshua.

Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him… At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

God gives Joshua two primary tasks as a leader:

1. Lead them out
2. Lead them in

What does that mean? If he does not perform these two tasks, the people of Israel will be like “like sheep which have no shepherd.” Think of what a shepherd does for sheep. He leads them out into the pasture for the purpose of feeding them. He needs to lead them to different pastures and different streams in order find food and water. Then the shepherd leads them back into a pin of safety and protection.

Joshua was to lead the people out into the promise land in battle in order to fulfill their purpose of occupying the promise land. He was to lead them out in the cause. He was to display physical courage by leading them into battle.

Joshua was then to lead them back into a place of care, safety, and rest. Into a place of community in order to heal their wounds, feed them, give them rest.

The two primary tasks of Joshua and leaders is:

1. Lead our people out to enter the Cause.
2. Lead our people in for Caring and Community.

As you read the Scriptures, notice how often these two tasks are central to what we should be doing. Here are just a couple.

Philippians 1:3-8

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Notice the balance between living for the cause of Christ and the fellowship of the believers. I love the phrase, “Partnership in the gospel.” It speaks to both cause and community.

Mark 12:28-31

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The two greatest commandments are love God and love neighbor. We are to follow God in the cause with all that we are and inter into loving community with others.

1. Courage in the Cause
2. Care in Community

How are you doing in balancing your leadership? Are you leading people in courage out into the cause? Are you leading people into a place of care and community? Think about how you can accomplish these two tasks in your life and leadership.

Dear Father in heaven, strengthen me to lead others out into the cause of Christ and deepen my loving ability to create a community of love and care for one another.

Battle Between Wills

Bernard Law Montgomery, a British Field Marshal who defeated Rommel in North Africa, says, “A battle is, in effect, a contest between two wills – your own and that of the enemy general.” (On War and Leadership, page 153)

How bad do you want to win the battle?

 ·  Are you willing to train?

 ·  Are you willing to gather resources?

 ·  Are you willing to sacrifice to attain victory?

An important attribute that contributes to eventual victory is the will to fight.

The military trains its men and women to develop a strong will to fight that exceeds that of the enemy. From boot camp to Ranger school, you are trained to ignore your flesh’s desire for peace and rest in order to strengthen your will to fight under any circumstances. You have a tremendous ability to deny your own desires in order to accomplish the task before you.

This battle does not just take place between two nations, or even two people, but this battle frequently takes place in our own lives. There is often a battle in my own life between what my flesh desires and what the Spirit of God who lives in me desires.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” -Galatians 5:16-17

How do you allow yourself to be trained to win this fight? In the military, you submit yourself to those who train you and you obey them. Even though every desire you have is to quit and give in to your fleshly desires, you choose to obey and remain in the training program. At intervals, you see what great results the training produces in you, which motivates you to continue to obey.

Why are you so willing to deny your desires in order to strengthen your will to fight for others? What do you see as your motivation? Your Nation; your family; the idea of freedom? Now picture Jesus standing before you as your Commander-in-Chief. Remember what He has done for you. Remember His desire to restore all mankind back into a loving relationship with Him that lasts for eternity. Remember that there is a battle among us between His loving intentions for us and Satan’s desire to deceive us into a life of death, rebellion, and loneliness. He asks you to trust Him. He asks you to allow Him to work out His desires and will through your life, but you must be willing to set aside your own desires, making His desires your desires.

 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”  Matthew 16:24

Lord, today I submit my life to You. I set aside all my desires that are not Your desires. I take up Your desires as my desires. Strengthen my will to fight against sin in my own life. Strengthen my will to love You and others.