What does that look like today? How are you courageously standing firm personally and in your family? Are you modeling an integrated life of faith, family, and profession to your family, those around you personally, and in the workplace?
The world desperately needs to hear about Jesus, and we’ve been called to share Him. I encourage you to become competent in your knowledge of Him. Draw people through your professional excellence. Be prepared through your life and words to shine His life-saving light.
Life in general is complicated. Life in the military is extremely difficult and challenging and carries with it an increasing amount of angst with the operations tempo, separations, threats to life and limb, and the increasing challenges from within our own nation.
In my thirty years on active duty, I witnessed phenomenal leaders who inspired, encouraged, and built teams that accomplished great things. Sad to say, I’ve also seen those who used their positions to advance their own agendas, bully others, and feed their own egos—always at the cost of those around them.
If you want the best example of fellowship, we have to look no further than God, who is the author and definer of fellowship.
We live in a hurting world of people desperate for answers. As a Christian, you already have the answer—Christ in your heart. If you have successfully guarded your face, heart and mind, when uncertainty strikes those you lead will look to you and find comfort and confidence. And they will also be curious about the source of your peace.
If you want to be the Christian military leader God has called you to be, I believe a must-have is a strong support system that loves, supports, and sustains you.
It’s incredibly important, yet challenging, that as you run your race in uniform for Christ, to keep His light in your heart burning brightly for others to see.
Outwit, Outplay and Outlast? My wish for you this Christmas season is instead that you “Out Love and Out Give."
Don’t you love it when the Lord reveals something new through His Word? I have read Matthew many times. And I’ll admit that I usually skim past the genealogy to get to the “meat” proclaiming the birth, life and good news about our Savior. Recently, however, my eyes were opened to two truths that penetrated my heart, ensuring that I will never again fast forward past these verses and forever ponder my lineage and legacy.
Do you see others as the Lord sees them, as diamonds waiting to be set free to achieve their full potential? Steward leadership is taking care of the people who have been “given” to you, developing their full potential, and earning you those wonderful words from the ultimate Steward Leader, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”
How do others see you fulfilling your dual commissions? Do they see a leader who cares for them with the heart of Jesus, who is humble, grace-filled and selfless, and who ultimately serves the One and only Lord? As you serve your nation and serve your Lord, you will have ample opportunities to shine the Light of Christ through your love and service to others.
Not many of us give much thought to that question on a daily basis. And truthfully, some days I may not really want to know the answer. But knowing how the Lord sees us is something we must consider because the answer dramatically affects our calling.
Congratulations on your commission! As you embark on the next phase of your journey, let me recommend competence, courage, and commitment as keys to your blueprint for successfully integrating faith and profession as military leaders.
Combating Satan's tool of discouragement requires confident faith in Jesus Christ, that unutterable trust of knowing He is always standing with us through all life's bewildering fires.
Congratulations to the OCF Class of 2012! We who have gone before welcome you to the profession of arms and the start of your great race the Lord has set before you. Crossing the threshold, you now carry two commissions simultaneously: one conferred on you from our Commander in Chief and one from the King of kings.
How's your Christ light shining?
How would a jury of your peers judge your Christian walk?
OCF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our CFC number is 10531. OCF is also a member of these organizations:
Copyright © 2000-2023 Officers’ Christian Fellowship. All Rights Reserved.
OCF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our CFC number is 10531. OCF is also a member of these organizations:
Copyright © 2000-2023 Officers’ Christian Fellowship. All Rights Reserved.
