“Marksmen,
fire when ready.”
I recently watched a show on
Netflix called “Top Shot”. The contestants have to prove their marksmanship to
be the best out of 16 who were chosen for a chance to win $100,000!
Paul speaks several times in
the New Testament about his
aim & what the aim of the
church ought to be. Most believers immediately think of our aim to be: to please God, which
is clearly true in 2 Corinthians 5:9.
Even
so, I get
excited to read Paul’s motivation for making His aim to please
God. In 1 Timothy 1:5, we see his motivation is love!
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
It’s encouraging to imagine a perfect
community or a family of God whose individual and corporate aims are one. Paul writes about this unified aim to the church in Corinth & in his
second letter to Timothy. (2
Tim. 2:4, 3:10; 2 Cor. 8:21, & 13:11)
Picture an army whose aim is clear: to
defeat the enemy & protect its’ own. If individual soldiers became
distracted with personal problems, strategy disagreements or even the desire
for comfort, the enemy could easily get a foothold.
I have never fought in a physical battle,
but my friend (former National Guard & Iraq veteran) has told me
much about her time in war. Distractions or selfish desires can completely ruin a unit of
soldiers & give the enemy the advantage!
I saw this on “Top Shot”, when contestants
became distracted, complained about the discomfort with a weapon, or lost
focus, they missed the target & were voted off the show.
This made me think. How often are we distracted from our aim to please God? Do
the comforts of our lives, desire to spend our paychecks how we want, and
disagreements with each other prevent us from our aim to please God? How often
do we forget why this is our aim in the first place?
We aim to please Him because:
He loved us SO much &
made His aim to redeem a fallen people so that we may know
Him & love others as we share this GOOD NEWS! (Watch what Felicia has discovered to be her aim in the video the below.)
Are you ready marksman? … to live out your
aim? Don't overthink it soldier. Use the resources & talents God’s given you
and simply: Fire when ready!
Prayer Requests:
- Personal: That I may “fire when ready”, not waiting to take aim and please the Lord in all I do.
- Students: Please pray for students to continue to “fire when ready”, starting spiritual & gospel conversations as the Holy Spirit leads them.
- Staff: Continue to pray that our staff hold onto the same aim in serving Jesus on campuses in NJ.
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