Looking forward to the mess

Being a Christian is like being a sentry, posted on duty in an army encampment, wrote John Newton (hymn-writer of "Amazing Grace" fame) in a letter to a friend. It may be hot or cold, it may be exciting or boring, you may get hungry, mosquito-bitten, or even fired upon. It's definitely not where you want to be. Everyone else in the camp is warm and fed and playing cards down in the mess hall. But you've been posted on the wall, and you have a duty to your Commanding Officer to stay there until the job is done.

"To live is Christ," wrote Paul in his letter to the Philippian Christians, "and to die is gain." Paul knew that it's far better to be in the mess with the CO than out on the wall. Why would you want to stay out any longer than he needs you to? Only because the mission is more important than you, and the CO has chosen to put you on active duty. Let's live boldly and fearlessly, as sentries on duty, never forgetting our mission, but looking forward to the time when the job is done, and we are called into the mess, where a hot meal and a warm bed will be waiting.

Photo by army.mil H/T Alan Chapple