Of Stolen Valor and the Real Deal

A hot topic during this election year has been, and to a degree continues to be, Minnesota Governor and presumptive Democratic Vice President nominee Tim Walz’s military record. Both media sides have been furiously working to unearth the truth about Walz’s service. As reported here, Walz’s recollections of his time and activities with the National Guard do not jibe with the facts, the latter declaring him to be anything but a war hero or even an active participant in one.

It is worth noting that military terminology and expressions of Christianity often find themselves in the same place. “Onward Christian Soldiers” has long been a staple in the American hymnbook. “Put on the whole armor of God” is a cherished passage of Scripture. The list goes on.

This duly noted, we are often threadbare soldiers hanging on by a thread. At least, I am. I am no spiritual giant. My walk with the Lord is reminiscent of sportscaster Chris Berman’s comment about an athlete rumblin’, fumblin’, stumblin’, and bumblin’. The poem about footprints in the sand would, were it written about me, include reference to lengthy stretches in the sand of furrows where God dragged me along as I was kicking and screaming. Still, I press forward as best I can.

The latest episode of my Cephas Hour podcast talks about these and other matters, including not becoming what we profess to oppose. The podcast is available on most services except Spotify as they simply don”t get it, and on-demand at its website. I hope you enjoy it.

One of the more miraculous items in God’s arsenal is often overlooked. It is His ability to use the breaking if not already broken to heal the breaking if not already broken. Think about how often in your life a person worn down and out with more than enough burdens and cares to justify pulling into a shell for self-preservation purposes has instead reached out to you, drawing on strength not their own but coming directly from our Lord to help us through whichever trial we are presently facing.

We are all fellow ragtag soldiers in God’s army, helping each other and, if we are wise, accepting help from one another. It is a sad truth that sometimes the person we most withhold grace from is ourselves, as we stubbornly cling to the notion that the other person is far more worthy of love and support than any we permit ourselves to enjoy. It’s something to work on.

In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, he noted:

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Faith in Jesus is neither a “get out of jail free” card nor a membership application for the Kool Kidz Klub. It is a humble, humbling confession that we are in direct need of a Savior. We who believe must never forget that God’s love for us is not a one size covers everything blanket approval of who we are, or what we do. Jesus does not need our intellectual trapeze acts or high-wire performance art in which we see how far we can, quote, “push the envelope” in terms of interaction with the world and each other. Jesus does not need us at all. He wants us and loves us. He wants to work through us. We are not doing Him a favor when we let Him lead, and we are especially not doing Him a favor when we go our own way and slap His Name on our pursuit of personal glory or what have you. We need to remember that.

Never become what you profess to oppose. Never decry someone else’s greed, then demand a princely sum for a paltry performance. Never complain about duplicity or greed, then exhibit the same traits in the name of righteousness or artistic freedom. Never criticize those attempting to live off past glories when you similarly bank on your rich past to deflect from your poor present.

Jesus Is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are not. Hopefully, we grow more faithful in our walk with the Lord as we admit that our physical walk slows over time. This is the inescapable nature of life on this planet. We are dust, and to dust we will return. We will grow older. We will not be as good as we once were. But the love of Jesus remains forever present. Cling to that. Not ourselves. Especially a version of ourselves that no longer exists.

Those of us who either were already believers or became believers during the 1970s evangelical movement admittedly got a little carried away with eschatology. We believed Jesus’ return to this earth was taking place any minute now. As it turns out, He had other plans.

Jesus not returning when we thought He would does not mean the prophecies were false. Nor does it mean we were wrong in anticipating His return. He is still coming. We don’t know when. We know that now. But that does not negate the fact that He is, indeed, returning. Are we ready? Are you ready?