DUTY CALLS

I’m currently reading an old devotional book written by William Barclay, a British Bible scholar.  His context leaks out in nearly everything he writes.

Today I read of a situation where a group of elite, British Coldstream Guards who were under siege fought their way out of this dilemma, but with tremendous losses among their ranks!  Out of two battalions, only two hundred men were left. 

These survivors were cared for by the Royal Air Force. 

“A Coldstream Guards major was talking to the R.A.F. unit’s medical officer.  The R.A.F. man said, ‘After all, as Foot Guards, you had no option but to have a go.’  Another R.A.F. man said: ‘It must be pretty tough to be in the Brigade of Guards, because the tradition compels you to carry on irrespective of circumstances.’

It was simply a sense of duty which turned these men into heroes.”

As an American, I’m confident that our special forces fighters have had similar experiences where the tradition compelled them to bravery and the risking of their lives!

Being compelled by duty seems to be a less admirable trait in the current culture.  Duty seems often thought of as mundane, trivial, and obligatory. 

Yet duty gives direction and clarity in many cases.  It leaves no doubt.  It helps to sustain a sense of purpose.  It develops faithfulness and creates camaraderie! 

“There was never anyone in whom the sense of duty was stronger than it was in Jesus Christ.  He went to His work saying: ‘I must.’”

·        “I must be about My Father’s business”  -  Luke 2:49

·        “I must preach the gospel”  -  Luke 4:43

·        He tells His disciples that He “must go to Jerusalem”  -  Matthew 16:21

·        “The Son of Man must suffer” -  Mark 8:31

·        “The Son of Man must be delivered up”  -  Luke 24:7

·        “I must work the works of Him that sent Me”  -  John 9:4

·        “The Son of Man must be lifted up”  -  John 12:34

Duty sometimes gets us up and out-the-door.  But as a result of duty’s motivation, good things happen and good connections are made!  Things get accomplished!

Duty is not a bad word!  It’s just fallen into disuse in a culture that glorifies fun, indulgence and diversion! 

Thankfully, many ARE still motivated by duty!  Our military, our police, our first-responders - as well as others would still answer the question, "Why did you risk your life?" with the response: "It was my duty!"

WHAT CAN A KID DO?

I just read yesterday about Thomas Edison.  He gave us more than a thousand inventions which are integral and essential to modern life.  Yet he was deaf from age twelve, and such a poor student he was unacceptable to the school, and had to educate himself.

Hmmmmm.

Stephen and Alex Kendrick, in their book The Resolution For Men write:

Alex and Brett Harris, authors (at age nineteen) of Do Hard Things, tell how history abounds with examples of young men who rose to the occasion after being given great responsibilities.  At twelve, David Farragut, the U.S. Navy's first admiral, took command of his first ship by sailing a captured vessel back to America.  George Washington began mastering geometry, trigonometry, and surveying at the same age as a modern fifth or sixth grader.  At sixteen he became a county surveyor.  At twenty-one he owned 2,300 acres of land.  (p.62)

Dr. Wes Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International, is one of the world's greatest advocates for children.  He tells of the responsibility he and the other children had in their African village.  They contributed to the food supply by "harvesting a delicacy, the huge...fruit doves...as big as a chicken and just as tasty."  They also protected the fields from marauding gorillas and monkeys by using their sling-shots to pelt them with rocks!

He writes (in Too Small To Ignore):

Kids want more than entertainment;  they want the chance to make a difference...We simply must learn to engage our children and walk with them day by day to foster their dreams and make them come true...Children are more than we think they are;  they can do more than we think they can do.  All they need is a vote of confidence from grown-ups, whom they will ultimately replace anyway.  Their dreams will become the realities of tomorrow.  (pp.43,50-51)

The Kendricks write:  "When a young man is passive and irresponsible, he greatly limits his freedoms, opportunities, and successes.  Whereas responsibility builds up a man and everything around him, the lack of it only weakens and destroys.  Irresponsible men are dangerous to whatever they touch."  (p.62)

Unfortunately, in American culture we have created a relatively new view called adolescence.  This view establishes a moratorium on responsibility and prolongs childhood indefinitely - sometimes through the twenties and into the thirties!

It's time to wake up! 

Don't Blame God!

I came across an amazing verse in The Message this morning.  Proverbs 19:2  People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does GOD always get blamed?"

Yikes!  That's blunt!  But true!  Why is it that we get ourselves into horrible fixes - and then blame God?  It's an insane thing to do;  completely illogical.  Yet all of us do it.

We choose our addictions - and then get mad at God for allowing us to do so.  We make choices all along throughout our lives - and then get upset with God because our lives didn't turn out the way we hoped.

It's so easy to blame God for stuff.  It shuffles the responsibility away from ourselves.  Instead of being angry with myself, I can be angry with God!  Everything is His fault!  I get off scott-free. 

The essence of this is:

• God has given us free will.
• God has also given us guidelines and parameters to live by.
• God holds us accountable through His Holy Spirit.
• God forgives us when we screw up.
• God reinstates us after our rebellions

With all that freedom and grace, how must I hurt Him when I blame Him for the results of my own choices?