I'm not a soldier. I've never even played one on TV.

There are constant reminders around me to rejoice in the sacrifice that good soldiers have made for me and for you across the years. We can never know ...

There is one thing about a good soldier that holds true, they understand there is a war and they are prepared for it.

What about you?

I came across a quote from John Piper that made me stop and wonder:

The problem is that most Christians don't really believe that life is war and that our invisible enemy is awesome. How are you going to get them to pray? They'll say they believe these truths, but watch their lives. There is a peacetime casualness in the church about spiritual things...all is well in America, the Disneyland of the universe.

Anyone else flinch at that observation?

How are we going to get them to pray?

There is a saying out there, that there are no atheists in foxholes. It simply means that in the crisis of all out war and conflict we are all looking to God for help.

The strangest thing is that there appears to be plenty of practical atheists in the church. Oh, we say we believe the right things, but there is no passion in our prayer life. There is no tenacity in our discipleship where we would rather die than compromise a life of integrity that lives for Christ. We whine "but I'm just not happy" and we use that to willingly and intentionally disobey the Word of God. We make excuses instead of sacrifices. We justify our short-comings with pithy empty words like "well, nobody is perfect", "this is about as good as I'm going to get", or "hey, I'm not as bad as so-and-so."

How can we settle for such mediocrity in our faith?

Is there a peacetime casualness in your life/faith? Are you ready for war?

The writer of Hebrews reminded us:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Are you tempted by casual Christianity? There was nothing casual about the cross.

How will we ever get them to pray? I think it only happens when you realize you are at war. So what will it be for you? Soldier? Pretender?