The war is over. The destruction is evident. The bloody battle leaves the land scarred. Out of the rubble and ash arise the soldiers who so valiantly fought for freedom. A cry of victory is heard throughout the land. The war is won. Soldiers begin to return home only to find their houses in disarray. The threat may be annihilated, but the devastation left behind proves another challenge. The time has come for a fresh start. The time has come to rebuild.
The Time Has Come to Rebuild
Looking back at the example of any major war throughout history, a country is never more vulnerable than in the aftermath of a war on its own soil. The actions of the leaders will determine whether the country flourishes or falls prey to another threat. We’ve spent a year looking at ways to fight our battles, God’s way to overcome the attacks of Satan, our enemy. Now it’s time to look at the road to recovery in the rebuilding process. In the aftermath of our own battles, we must continue to walk worthy and humbly with our God.
One of the first steps in this restoration is learning to walk worthy of our vocation (Ephesians 4:1). Our walk consists of our daily choices. To walk worthy is to do so in a godly manner. In a simple definition, to walk worthy means that we make choices aligned with God’s will to reflect Christ to those around us. As Christians, our vocation is found throughout scripture and summarized in this “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Individually, God gives us each a calling and purpose where He may be glorified (Jeremiah 1:5-10, Exodus 3-4). Just as Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and many others learned, when God calls us to a purpose, He is the one who provides and sustains us to walk worthy in it.
Regardless of our individual vocation, the scripture gives this instruction for each of us: “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2 KJV). Making our daily decisions consistent with humility, patience, and love is one practical way we walk worthy. We are to walk in this world in a manner that follows the example of Christ so others will see Him and come to know Him more. We are to conduct ourselves with patience not anger, humility not pride, true love not cheap lust. I Corinthians 10:31 exhorts us to do all that we do for the glory of God. This includes the ways we speak to others (Ephesians 4:32), the way we conduct business (Romans 12:11), even the ways we behave when no one is around (Matthew 6:1-5).
We have been called to be good soldiers of Jesus (II Timothy 2:3). Let us walk worthy of this vocation as we work diligently to rebuild our homes, our families, our churches, and our community.
Article by Logan Lanier, Associate Counselor at Cord of 3
