Word for Word
by Pastor Duane Smith
This week we celebrate Veterans Day. It was originally called Armistice Day to commemorate the cessation of hostilities of World War I. In 1954 it was changed to Veterans Day, a day in which we are to honor the veterans of all wars and not just those of World War I.
Honoring those who have been willing to lay down their lives for our liberties is something that all Americans should feel privileged to do. Simply saying thank you to a veteran may seem insignificant when compared to the sacrifice they have made but it is certainly something all of us can do.
Perhaps another way we can honor them is by exercising the freedoms they fought so hard to protect. We can do this is by voting, speaking against injustices we see in our society, or simply going to church. There are many countries in this world where doing these things that we take for granted every day would land you in jail or worse. We honor our veterans by actively engaging in our society.
As I ponder the significance of Veterans Day, I wonder if there is another veteran that we have ceased to honor in our country. There is one who fought the greatest battle ever waged. He stood alone when there was no one else to engage the enemy. His battlefield was not a physical one but a spiritual one. This did not make the war any less real, it just made it less visible. So who is this solitary figure of whom I write?
Hopefully, you have figured out by now that I am speaking about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He engaged in a battle against sin and death and arose victorious! This great victory made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven and have a relationship with God that we couldn’t have before. A relationship that can only be ours if we place our faith and trust in the one who won the victory for us, Jesus Christ.
We honor Him by accepting His gift of salvation from our sins, but is there another way we can honor Him? Just like we can honor veterans by exercising our freedoms, we honor our Savior by living a life that is consistent with the salvation we have been given. Ephesians 4:1 says that we need to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. If we claim to be a Christian then it is only natural for God to expect us to live in a way that is consistent with who we claim to be. The Bible says that He paid the price for us, adopted us as His children, and made us a part of His family. What greater way could there be for us to honor Him than to live in a way that pleases Him.
This Veterans Day, don’t forget to honor those who have served our country. Every day don’t forget to honor the one who paid the ultimate price for you.
