By Don Mears
Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, which began the Gulf War, took many by surprise. One of those surprised was a sailor on a ship ordered to the Gulf in case the United States entered the conflict.
This sailor wanted the ship to drop him off at the nearest safe harbor. When he joined the Navy he hadn't expected to fight. He joined the Navy to see the world; to broaden his experience; to learn a trade.
When I heard that story, I was both amused and aghast. The sailor hadn't joined up to fight; he'd only joined up for the benefits.
Over the past three years, we have been thrust into a battle. It is a battle for grace, a battle for truth, a battle for the simplicity and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Battlefields are by nature uncomfortable places. The temptation always exists to say: "I've had enough. I can't take any more. I want to go to a quieter, or a safer, or a more satisfying place."
Like many of you, I have felt those feelings and thought those thoughts. At times I have felt like quitting. Of course, I wouldn't have called it quitting, and I wouldn't have liked anybody else to call it quitting either.
I would rather have called it taking a break, changing my vocation or going to another fellowship. And during those trying times, the pain, the weariness or the frustration were more than many members and ministers were willing to bear.
They had seen loved ones leave our fellowship to seek a more comfortable place. I feel for them, and I realize that only they can know, as I cannot, what they have endured.
It is possible that if I had suffered as they have, I might have chosen the same course as they did. God knows I'm not a hero.
But remember: When we committed our lives to Jesus Christ, we signed on as soldiers in the army of God, and placed ourselves under the authority of the commander in chief.
We committed ourselves to serve him wherever he would put us. Should we be surprised then, to find ourselves in battle? And can we truly justify abandoning our place in that battle, and going off to another place on the battlefield, a place we prefer?
As soldiers we are expected to stay at our assigned post. Soldiers stand their ground, difficult as it may be, and fight where the commander in chief has put them. When we leave our post we judge our Commander, telling him, "You put me in the wrong place!"
We expose our brothers to higher risk because we do not stand beside them. We put burdens on their already-weary shoulders that we were supposed to be sharing.
Sometimes it seems as if the battle will never end. It may seem as if success will never come.
We are tempted to leave this battle, which seems to be going so poorly, and go to another battle, a battle of our choice, where we will experience more success. But I am convinced that any battle we abandon today, we will have to fight tomorrow; and that it will be twice as hard a fight tomorrow as it would have been if we had stayed and fought it today.
Faithfulness is the true success, and faithfulness means sticking to your post, and fighting to the end the battle Jesus has given you to fight.
I'm reminded of George Duffield's hymn "Stand Up for Jesus":
Stand up, stand up for Jesus; the strife will not be long;
This day, the noise of battle, the next, the victor's song:
To him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of glory, shall reign eternally!
Jan. 27, 1998, WN, page 8
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