In my last column I took you to the bedrock Scripture in the New Testament on making disciples for Christ Jesus–II Timothy 2:1-7. Every effective Christian must have the qualities of an enduring soldier…planning to die if necessary, a competitive athlete…preparing to win if possible and a hardworking farmer…planting the truth if provident–always a benefit to himself and those he loves.
As a combat ready Air Force pilot during the Cold War I’ll never forget my last target in Russia…it was forty miles south of Moscow. My crew of three would fly to England from the US, load an atomic bomb on our plane and wait for action if our country was attacked by Russia. If the bell sounded we would be in the air in twenty minutes alerted to our defense of America. We had a post strike base after we dropped our bomb, but most of us knew we would never come back. But someone had to take the risk if we loved our country’s cause and our citizens.
The greatest coach in Arkansas Razorback football was Coach Frank Broyles. He led our team to be the national champions and put Arkansas on the map as a football powerhouse. It was one of my highest honors when he asked me to be team chaplain. I learned much in my thirty years in that role, but I’ll never forget what he told me at the beginning. I can hear him now! “No athlete will ever win anything unless he is possessed by the emotion to be a champion!” We will never succeed at anything we consider great without the emotional risk to do it.
We have arrived at the most critical test of a person’s experience, what he or she plants to sustain themselves according to “The Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” as the Declaration of Independence so wonderfully states. What God entitled is his truth to mix with our risk and emotion! Together these three build a conquering, satisfying, significant and God created life. I pray this for all my dear readers.
It is reported that last year that over 49,000 Americans committed suicide…our highest ever. Think of the thousands who thought about it but didn’t end it! Think of the millions living suicidal lives and don’t even know it! It is only by God truth, faith risk and emotional love that life serves us. Without those three, living life makes you a slave to the lesser gods (John 14:5-31)!
[Note: This article was originally published in October 2023.]
