This past weekend in the US we observed Memorial Day. I was going to say "celebrated" but a holiday set aside to remember the sacrifices of those who died so that others might live in freedom is hardly a "celebration". It is an observance, a solemn time to remember and reflect.
As I have considered these men and women and the sacrifices they and their families have made, both past and present, I have wondered about the reasons we fight. We go to war because we believe strongly in the cause for which we are fighting. We go to war and risk our lives so that others might live and enjoy the freedoms God has given us all.
Yet too often, especially in the current conflicts, it seems that when we return from war we hardly know how to live. Many find a cause worth dying for, but it is hard for them to find a cause worth living for.
Since the conflicts began in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US military has experienced more deaths by suicide than combat-related deaths. This goes to the heart of the matter. Our warfighters are given a cause to die for, but when they return too many are given no cause worth living for. This is sad.
God intends for people to live in freedom, so that what is right will be honored, what is beautiful will be appreciated, and what is true will be respected.
Jesus died so that we might live. (See Ephesians 2:1-10) So how can we give our young people, warfighters and non-warfighters alike, something worth living for? This should be our challenge as we seek to honor the sacrifices of those who went to war, fought, and died so that we might have the opportunity to live.
Now it's your turn. What are you living for? How can you share that cause with someone else who needs a reason to live?
I invite your thoughts and ideas, as we continue to journey together along the Way ...
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