Tours of Duty

(Spiritual Journeys)

Back in the mid-sixties, I was in my mid-20's and eligible for military draft.  It was suggested to me that instead of getting drafted, I should enlist.  In doing so, I could choose what I would do and where I would do it.  The Vietnam War was just heating up and many young men found themselves going to a strange land with strange names and meeting people with strange beliefs and ways of doing things and putting themselves in great danger.  Many did not come back and many that did were never the same.

Since music was such a big part of my life, I decided to try and get into a military band.  It was suggested to me that I audition for an Air Force Band.  I contacted the band located at Wright Patterson Air Force Band up near Dayton, OH.  I had an audition all set up and within a short period of time would head to the base.

Within a few days of the scheduled audition, I received a phone call from the Commanding Officer of the 100^th Division Army Reserve Band located right in my home town of Ft. Thomas, KY.  He convinced me that joining his band would be a much better situation for me -- so, there I was for the next six years – attending one rehearsal a week plus a two-week summer camp each year while working at my regular job.

What would have been a two year full-time tour of duty shortly turned into six years of a part-time experience.  Only God knows where I would be or what might have happened to me if I said “No” and gone to Dayton instead.

In our earthly spiritual journeys of walking with the Lord, only God knows what would have happened if we had made a left-hand turn instead of a right-hand turn.  Sometimes we can make journey decisions and sometimes the decisions are made for us.

Once you join the military, basically, your life is not your own.  Your life becomes the ownership of the U.S. Government.

In our walk with Christ, The same principle applies. 

I Cor. 6:19-20 What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

 When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, I enlisted into His “army.”  I basically said, “Lord, I’ll go where You send me to do what You want me to do.”

 When I married my wife, I made a covenant with her that she would be the only love of my life.  She would not be very happy if one day I came home and said, “Honey, I’ve found someone else.”  That would not make for a very happy home life.  In the same way spiritually, Jesus is not happy when I have other loves that are more important than Him.  Scripture warns us not to love the world. 

 1 Jn. 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 My body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and as God’s Temple, it must be kept clean and orderly.  I have been given the responsibility of stewardship of that which belongs to God.  The greatest enemy is spiritual adultery and it comes in three facets, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

 Lust of the Flesh

Because my body is God’s dwelling place, there are “house rules” and one is to “guard the flesh.”  (1Co 6:18) I am to flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.  Lusting of the flesh violates a house rule.

 Lust of the Eyes

The second house rule is “guard the eyes.”  The eye gate is one of the most sensitive parts of the body. In the back of the eye is the retina which contains photoreceptor nerve cells. These cells take the light and transform them in to electrical impulses. These electrical impulses are sent to the optic nerve of the eye. The optic nerve then transmits the information to the brain and allows you see to what you see. Using a camera demonstration you can call the retina the film of the camera. If the film goes bad you will not be able to view any pictures no matter what you do. The same goes with the retina. If the retina is damaged one is not able to process any pictures or images. Blindness is the result.

 As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  The eye takes in information and relates it directly to the brain.  Therefore, what I look at is what I think about.  What I think about is what I become.  Therefore, if we are to be like Christ the greatest enemy to us can become what I look at.  God, guard my eyes that I might not sin against Thee.

 The Pride of Life

The following information came from a Website “word2U” and I thought it was excellent material to share.
A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Pvb. 29:23
Pride is the great enemy of the Christian as it is an exaggerated high opinion of self.  It leads to do things that are not Christ-like, and it keeps us from doing what is glorifying to God. 
The Old Testament provides many examples of individuals who were prideful. 

• Pride influenced Adam and Eve to try to become like God (Gen. 3:5).
• Pride motivated Cain to murder his brother (Gen. 4:5).
• Pride provoked Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery (Gen. 37:8).
• Pride caused King Saul to resent David so deeply that he tried to murder him (1Sam. 18:8).
• Pride led King Hezekiah to foolishly reveal his nation's wealth to his enemies (Isa. 39:2).
• Pride was at the root of the Pharisees’ anger toward Jesus.
• Pride was the reason the disciples argued over rank in the kingdom (Luke. 9:46).

Pride is a relentless enemy and if we give in to its influence, there will be consequences. We may know that we have offended someone, but pride holds us back from asking forgiveness.

We may realize we need to reconcile a broken relationship, but pride will lead us to deny the need. The Spirit may convict us that we are living a sinful lifestyle, but pride will keep us from admitting it.

Pride convinces us that we deserve better treatment. Pride can impede service to others. It causes us to strive for places of prominence. Pride leads us to listen to flatterers and resist honest critics. Pride will lead us to isolate ourselves so that we avoid accountability to others.

As I reflect on my tours of duty for the Lord, I find that each tour had its high and low points.  I also see that I was influenced by those around me.  What makes one tour of duty a wonderful experience while others are not?  I find that it’s my attitude to those in authority over me.

God has placed different individuals as my “commanding officers” in this world to teach me and guide me into the paths that God wanted me to take.

 PRAYER

God, what is my next tour of duty?  Help me to see your hand in the experience through those who You place in my life to help guide me into your will for me and my family.