The Lord's Army

Last Sunday, several teens and I led a class for some of the elementary-aged children. One of the songs we sang with the children was “The Lord’s Army.”

This got me to thinking. How many of us really are in “The Lord’s Army?” You might wonder what I mean, so let me explain.

When you are in the Army, you enlist and basically commit your life to the cause. You spend time training every day and focus on preparing for the battle.

There is also an option to join the Army Reserves. This group commits to one weekend a month and two weeks every year to prepare in the event they are needed.

The question I want us to consider is this: Which one of these reflects our situation in God’s Kingdom?

Are we people who are enrolled in Lord’s Reserves? Do we show up for some weekends and take part in a few weeks of serving on a mission trip or camp.

Or, are we serving in the Lord’s Army? Do we dedicate time every day to training? Are we engaged in spiritual disciplines on a daily basis? Do we seek to make the Kingdom of God our number one priority throughout every day?

When he was writing to Timothy, Paul said the following: Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. (2 Timothy 2:3-4)

Paul’s words are as relevant to us as they were two thousand years ago. We have to decide what kind of soldiers we want to be in God’s Kingdom. We can be in the reserves, showing up once in a while in the event we might be needed sometime in the future. Or, we can be committed to the army. We can be the kind of people who look for opportunities every day to further the cause of the Kingdom of God.

As Paul finished some of his last recorded words to Timothy, he offers the following words of encouragement…

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Paul lived in wholehearted devotion to the Kingdom. It was his first priority, regardless of where he was or what he faced. His words were backed up by action. Let us be the kind of people who don’t just sing about the Lord’s Army, but ones who live it as well.

shine!

Jason