In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. -John 1:1-5
"Somehow he just seemed to act the way a man of God should act." (quote from a young corporal in the New York Times, September 9, 1967.)
On September 4th, 1967, a Marine platoon stationed in Quang Tin province was in danger of being overrun by a force five times greater than itself. Hearing this, Navy chaplain Father Vincent Capodanno raced from headquarters to the site of the battle to be with his men. As the battle raged, the Marines would give ground, re-take it, give ground, and then re-take it. This meant the dead and wounded were often located in the deadly crossfire of no-man's land between the two armies. This was Father C's parish that day. Racing from soldier to soldier, he offered last rites to the dead and dying, and medical care to the wounded. Early in the battle, he suffered a bullet wound to his right hand. Still he moved from soldier to soldier, caring and comforting as best he could. A mortal shell landed close, rendering his entire right arm useless, but still he ignored the pleas of the medics to evacuate. Hindered by his injuries, he moved slowly through no-man's land using his left hand to prop his right arm up to offer absolution and comfort. Suddenly, to his left he watched as an enemy machine gunner raked a corpsman caring for the wounded. When the corpsman went down and couldn't move, Father C lumbered over to carry him to safety. Inches from his goal, the enemy gunner pulled the trigger again.
Early in the Vietnam War, it was customary to send a soldier home when he had earned his third Purple Heart. On Labor Day of 1967, Father C went home, too. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Chaplain of the 3d Battalion", Father C was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
When Jesus stepped out of eternity to do His work of salvation, He responded to the Father's call for a volunteer to stand in the gap for all of humanity. When His work on earth was finished, Jesus then stood on the banks of the
If we respond, it is no longer acceptable for us to live life by our standards, or even by our best effort. Jesus calls us to look and act and talk and be different than the rest of the world. Instead of trying to figure out how much we can get away with and still be saved, He calls us to lives of holiness in the middle of a world that values success over sanctification. The greatest praise we can now receive is for a coworker or vendor or customer or investor to say we "just seemed to act the way a man or woman of God should act."
It's time to move from good to Godly.
--Randy Kilgore
rkilgore@marketplacenetwork.com
Going Deeper
We're often asked for ways to sand-blast ourselves out of spiritual ruts, for ideas to move from good to Godly. For Christians who work, here are some ideas to consider if you want to see change that pleases God.
- Know His Word. Any worker can make good decisions, but very few make Godly decisions. That's because so many Christians choose to ignore their spiritual growth and thus leave themselves ill-equipped to make wise choices. Only those who are imbedding the Word of God in their hearts and minds are able to make the leap from good to Godly work. The Bible isn't a reference document that can be Googled for wisdom. Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:105
- Stop dancing on the edge. A friend of mine regularly warns other Christians against the practice of "seeing how close we can get to sin without really sinning." Like the teenager who asks how far he/she can go without sinning in matters of sex, the worker who wonders how close to the world they can be has already lost the battle. Romans 12:1-2
- Be different. When Medal of Honor winner Navy chaplain Vincent Capodanno was killed tending wounded Marines during a battle in Quang Tin province during the Vietnam War, one of his flock was heard to say "somehow he just seemed to act the way a man of God should act." Jesus calls us to look and act and be different than the other workers in the world. We are not chameleons trying to blend in, but ambassadors called to stand out. Matthew 5:16
- Slow down. In the late 1800s, one of Andrew Carnegie's managers figured out that after eight hours, the value of a man's work diminishes. Carnegie, a real tyrant for productivity, had to be statistically sold on the idea of shorter work days. He was. Somewhere in the bustle of all our time-saving devices, we've lost this truth. The truth is that speed kills; physically, fiscally and spiritually. If you're too busy to pray, you're too busy. If you're too busy to.(you get the idea.) Matthew 6:33
- Listen. Those who always talk are left to rely on their own resources, their own knowledge, their own instincts, their own judgment; and their own wisdom. In short, they are narrow-minded and short-sighted. Those who listen to God (instead of always talking to Him) have access to eternal truth. Similarly, those who listen to their coworkers, customers, vendors and suppliers widen the likelihood they have enough information to make smart choices. Proverbs 1:1-33
--Randy Kilgore
rkilgore@marketplacenetwork.com
www.marketplacenetwork.com
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