The Life I Now Live
There can be no doubt that Memorial Day is a somber day for many in this nation. As we drive through our towns, we may see those flags flown at half-staff, reminding us that today is not a day of celebration. It is a day for honoring the lives that have been lost over the lifetime of this nation in the wars she has fought.
Hearts are heavy today. Mothers and fathers mourn their sons and daughters. Brothers and sisters mourn their siblings. Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandmas and grandpas, friends. Families and communities remember the men and women in uniform whose lives were given in exchange for the life we get to live in these united states. May the Lord bless them. May He pour out His Spirit of comfort upon them and grant them hope in the Lord Jesus. Amen.
As we reflect on the weight of these lives given in exchange for ours, may we honor them by allowing their sacrifice to point us to the One who gave it all for us. These men and women, they died in service to their country. Because they were willing to put aside the life they could have lived, and fight the fight they could have avoided, you and I get to dwell in relative peace within the borders of our nation. May their act of service remind us of the one our Lord gave almost 2000 years ago.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he states,
“…though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”[1]
King Jesus was willing to put aside the glory owed Him as Creator and Sustainer of the universe, in order that in Him, we might have life eternal with our Father who is in Heaven. He was willing to endure humiliation and suffering so that those who would put their trust in Him would enjoy His presence and fellowship with Him in the new heaven and the new earth. He not only lived a life we could not live, but for our sake, He died a death we each should have died. All so that we could be reconciled to God and enjoy Him today and forevermore.
Memorial Day reminds us that there are millions of men and women who have laid down their lives so that others may enjoy the peace that comes with their sacrifice. Because they were willing to die, we have been afforded the opportunity to live. And that on its own should give us reason to pause and consider how we choose to live.
Like our service men and women, Christ gave His life for us so many years ago. But it was Christ Jesus who not only died, but He was also raised. And because He was raised, we too who have shared in His death through faith also share in His new life. Therefore, in light of these realities, may we choose to live unto Christ. May we as His Good and Faithful honor the death of our Lord by living in light of His resurrection. May we choose this Memorial Day to honor the death of our fallen by living the life they intended to purchase for us. A life of freedom.
Not freedom to sin. Not freedom to fight one another over who has the better politics. Not freedom to act superior to each other. The freedom to love and serve one another in the Lord. May this Memorial Day remind us that the life we live is not free. It cost many their own life and our life in the Lord cost Him His. May we choose today to live by faith in the Son of God. Not using our freedom to gratify the desires of the flesh, but rather to serve one another in love. May we honor the fallen by living like Him who was raised.
Today is a somber day for many. But we who are called to be the Good and Faithful should not lose heart.
“For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”[2]
So let us take heart in this truth. Let us go and love serve those who are hurting. Let us spread the hope of Christ in all that we do, that others may see our good works and give glory to our Father in Heaven. Let us walk as Christ, as His Good and Faithful, sharing the hope we have in Christ that others may share in that hope. God bless you this day.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”[3]
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