The Urgency of Generals - Warrior Mom Wisdom - Week of December 16
The Urgency of Generals
On June 5, 1944, General Patton, Commander of the III Army in England during World War II gave a speech to the infantry soldiers. He was somewhere in England. His goal was to incite courage and encourage them to fight despite their fears before they embarked on their mission of overtaking Berlin, searching for Hitler with one goal: to defeat the enemy. While Patton was known for his colorful language (language that won’t be repeated here), he always accomplished his goal: he screamed victory and his soldiers heard it. The victorious words that roared from his mouth vibrated within the hearts and souls of his soldiers. By the end of his speeches, his soldiers were standing, yelling victory, not afraid of death.
Patton always talked of team work. He described seemingly insignificant roles (the soldier who boiled water, or climbed a pole to tie a rope, the truck driver, the cook) as major roles in the game plan of war. He said that truck drivers and road pavers were some of the most fearless soldiers he ever met. On this particular day, he discussed the truck drivers with these words:
“They were part of a team. Without team effort, without them, the fight would have been lost. All of the links in the chain pulled together and the chain became unbreakable."
The General paused and stared challengingly over the silent ocean of men. One could have heard a pin drop anywhere on that vast hillside. The only sound was the stirring of the breeze in the leaves of the bordering trees and the busy chirping of the birds in the branches of the trees at the General's left.
The urgency of Generals must be made known to all who observe him. It is the General to whom soldiers and civilians look and mimic. It is due to the urgency of the General that soldiers stand, fight, persevere, and can sit peacefully amid battle because they know the strategy of the war. Most importantly, the Generals know how the battle ends: They win! They claim victory every day. They refuse to think of defeat, or even whisper doubt. The Army cannot afford such thoughts. They do not waiver in their faith, their courage, or their mind-set. They are Generals for a reason. For all of these reasons, they are Generals. They will win ever time. If they die, they still win because they died fighting for what they believed in. They sacrificed, and for them, this is the ultimate victory in life.
Jahaziel was a man who understood these things. While speaking to all the men (and their wives and children) of Judah (before defeating Moab and Ammon) he spoke and told them what the Lord had to say:
‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Juruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. 2 Chronicles 20:15-17
Generals have journeyed past the long hours of labor pains to the birth of victory. Their training has taught them that when they are their weakest and most tired, it is crucial to persevere because it is then that victory is imminent. The greater the pain and sacrifice the greater the victory on the other side of that final push. Warrior Moms will not be described as warriors who could not endure the final push
“a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is not strength to deliver them.”Isaiah 37:3
No! We will persevere, knowing that the Lord is our warrior (Exodus 15:3), and that God will finish what He has begun in all of us. I encourage you as I know you are remaining faithful in the fight of duties and tasks, resting in the peace that He will accomplish it at last.
Warrior Moms Unite!
The Warrior Mom Ministry was founded by Kristina Seymour, author of The Warrior Mom Handbook – Equipping Women through the Word, a Bible study for moms who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. Kristina has learned that moms can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about The Warrior Mom Handbook, the Warrior Mom Ministry, and to sign up for daily encouragement, visit Kristina's blog.
