Courage Under Fire

With many of our loved ones in the military, it seemed appropriate to write something about courage this week. We appreciate so much those of our number who willingly face injury and death to protect our way of life. It takes courage to do that . Our national history is full of men and women who have courageously faced enemies on every side and unselfishly laid down their lives for their comrades, countrymen, and loved ones.  They are heroes to us all. We pray earnestly that war will be avoided, but know that if such proves necessary, courage will again accompany the brave into battle.

Courage is important to the Christian, too. It takes courage to be faithful. Perhaps you never thought of religion in those terms, but it’s true. Oh, we understand that it takes courage to go into a dangerous foreign land and preach the gospel. Of course it takes courage to continue to confess Jesus even when someone puts a gun in your face and dares you to. However, you may not have thought it takes much courage to live the Christian life you live. Well, it does! It takes courage to live your life faithfully, that is.

We give a ticker-tape parade to the battlefield hero and we are full of praise for brother Smith’s stand against false doctrine and sister Jones’ defense of the truth and those accolades are well deserved. I want you to think, though, of the courage it takes for you, the average, ordinary person to live a faithful life. Maybe you’re a soldier, a preacher, an elder in the church, or maybe you’re a homemaker, a teacher, or a truck driver; it really doesn’t matter. Suppose you’re all alone one day and you come face to face with temptation. It doesn’t matter what the temptation is; we all face it in one form or another. This particular temptation, however, is particularly effective because it tempts you to do something that is sinful, but that no one else will know about. You can do it and no one will know. You can even do it and repent and no one will know, making it even more tempting. What do you do? 

Let’s let our imaginations take over for just a moment and move us into the spiritual realm. Who’s that soldier standing to one side? Why, it’s you! And there’s your armor spread out all around you on the ground. What’s that sound? It sounds terrifying! That sound is the sound of your enemy, the dragon, that serpent of old, Satan himself, approaching. And he’s coming for you!

My description may be a little melodramatic, but this is exactly what is happening when you face temptation.  The fight is on and you’ve got to put on your armor and fight or you’re going to be devoured. Here’s what I really want you to notice, though. Over to one side of the dragon you can see someone else fighting. That’s old brother Smith. You remember. He’s the one you thought so highly of for standing against false doctrine. You thought he was a REAL soldier of the cross. And there, on the other side of the dragon. It’s sister Jones, whom you admired for so ably defending the truth. The point is, they’re fighting the good fight and so are you...if you’re fighting, that is. It takes no more courage for the preacher or the elder or anyone else in the congregation you admire and think of as more spiritual and spiritually able than yourself to fight the good fight than it does for you. And when you fight off that temptation that no one else will ever know about, you’ve struck home a blow right in the heart of that old dragon.

Hear the words of the Lord: “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24).  When you face those enemies (temptations or people) remember these words: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).  Good friends, in these days of uncertainty, keep the faith, be of good cheer and be strong and courageous.  If you do you can’t lose because God loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates

When All Is Said and Done

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). I know, I know…that doesn’t sound like a very encouraging way to start a note of encouragement! However, Solomon had some very important things to say after he wrote this rather discouraging-sounding statement. It’s not hard for us to become discouraged enough that we want to cry the same cry when we look at our lives. Sometimes the pressure builds up so much that we know exactly what Solomon meant. Or, we think we do, anyway.

Actually, Solomon seems to have been speaking out of something other than frustration. First of all, Solomon wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit, so that makes this a little different from the petty frustrations I have from time to time. Solomon was not writing out of frustration, but out of experience. What Solomon had discovered is that trying to gain happiness by any other means than by giving yourself completely to the will of God is vain, futile, and worthless. And Solomon had tried everything he could try.

Ecclesiastes 2:1, he said to himself, “‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.’ And behold, it too was futility.” Boy, wouldn’t you like to give yourself that test? Solomon actually tried to find happiness and fulfillment in personal, physical pleasure. He held nothing back from himself and, in the end, he found that pleasure, too, was vain and futile. Pleasure just will not work when it comes to making you truly happy or fulfilled.

There are a lot of people in this world who have the same idea that Solomon had: to test themselves with pleasure. They hold nothing back; there are no holds barred. Anything goes! And yet they find themselves increasingly unhappy rather than happy. You do not have to be a genius to look around and see that unhappiness reigns supreme in the lives of many, many people. Maybe you’re one of them.

You will be happy to know that Solomon’s book of Ecclesiastes is not a book of complaints that life is unfair. When he says all is vanity, he means all that originates with man. There is hope. There is encouragement to be had if you will look in the right place. In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, we find some words of true wisdom. In 12:1, he says, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’…” In other words, stop looking for fulfillment in yourself or here on earth and turn to God before it’s too late! Read Ecclesiastes 12:2-5 and apply what is written there to the running down of the human body as we grow old.

Solomon gives one more bit of advice for those who are searching for happiness and fulfillment. In 12:13, he says, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” There is nothing I could say that would be more encouraging than that. True happiness, true encouragement, can only come from God. Know that anything other than total commitment to God is futility. And know that He loves you and so do I.

Donnie Bates