Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - A Good Soldier of Jesus Christ - Part 1

If there is any group of people in our country that I greatly admire, it's our military. I recently saw a picture on the internet of an American soldier in Afghanistan carrying his heavy gear and weapon in extreme heat and making his way across the desert. It was on the 4th of July. He was there putting his life on the line for the freedom of our country and the protection of others. I was here enjoying my air-conditioned office and drinking a cold glass of water. Something struck me about that photo of the soldier...struck me deeper than most photos I had seen of our military in quite a while. There was something so obvious yet so fresh to my soul. And it wasn't anything that you could see with your eyes. You had to see it with your heart. Here is what I saw - he didn't have to be there.

So why was he there? I know, there could be many great reasons. But I believe that ultimately he was there because he understood that his life had a bigger cause than himself. A cause bigger than his own need for comfort and security. A cause more life-giving and important than maintaining the status quo. He was on the adventure of a lifetime. And not even the constant call of home would deter him from his purpose in being there.

Then I reflect on my own journey with God and I'm reminded in the Scriptures that the Christian life is made up of constant warfare (Ephesians 6:12 ) and we are to serve Christ as soldiers of the Lord (2 Timothy 2:3 ). And not only are we soldiers fighting spiritual battles, but we are called to join in the fight of rescuing the souls of men from an eternity without a Savior. And that, I believe, is the greatest adventure of all.

With that being said, let me be honest with you. There are many days when I don't feel like being a soldier at all. I'd rather be sitting on the back deck cooking on the grill and enjoying a glass of tea with my family than to be bothered with the reality that my neighbors might not know Christ and may be headed for an eternity in hell. I'd rather be heavily involved in "Christianity" and not have to mess with getting in the way of lost people. And I have a feeling that I'm not alone.

Let's face it - being conscious daily of the spiritual needs of the people around us is hard work. I find it a battle just to keep my own spiritual life on the right track and get my electric bill paid on time, much less having to worry about someone else's condition. But even with this being true, there are a few goals I can say I am striving for that help me be mindful of others. And even on my worst days, it's these goals that keep me in the race. I like to think of these as being faithful in the little things - the things that, if I don't do them, I won't have the slightest chance of having any kind of real impact on the lives of others.

I hate going to the dentist, but one hard lesson I've had to learn more than once is if you go too long without flossing, your next dentist visit for a "routine cleaning" will become nothing less than a roadside construction project with jackhammers and smoke. It's the little things that add up. We will look at each one of these in greater detail in coming blogs, but for now, Here are my top three:

Spending time each day with God. You knew I'd start there and you were right. There was a time in my life when having a "quiet time" or "personal time for worship" was optional. Not any more. In fact, I can't even function through a given day without having had this time with God first thing in the morning. That may sound self-righteous, but regrettably I speak from too much painful experience that a missed quiet time is an open door for bad decision-making and missed opportunities to make a difference in others. And the more missed quiet times we have, the wider the door opens for personal failure.

Leaving with an expectation. Through my daily time with God, I will usually express in my prayers a desire for God to provide opportunities for me to get involved in the lives of lost people. I find that this enables me (or fuels me) to leave home with an expectation of God doing something great during the day and allowing me to be a part of it.

Living with a clear heart before God and people. There are two things that will have immeasurable impact on your effectiveness as a witness for Christ - unconfessed personal sin and strained relationships with the people you love and spend your time with. And often they go hand in hand.

We will pick up from here next time as we look at the value of daily time with the Lord and how it impacts our personal evangelism.