Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.  
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Today’s verse reminds me of Eisenhower’s final instructions to the troops on the night before the Normandy Invasion of June 6th, 1944. “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. “ As the general knew, these were the final words some of those men would hear. In face of the coming battle, he appealed to their courage, devotion and skill, and then above all these he asked them to pray for the blessing of God. Thank God for such men, by whose sacrifice the evil Nazi regime was eventually defeated.

Like Eisenhower, Paul closes his letter with instructions preparing the church for a spiritual battle. He begins with the phrase, “Act like men“. In today’s society, such advice would immediately be misconstrued and soon pummeled by the press. But in Paul’s day, his instructions were perfectly understood. His readers knew how men ought to act, and it had nothing to do with their sexual prowess, if they looked amazing, or were applauded by society. They understood that grown men ought to be unafraid to face hardship, ready to defend those around them and willing to suffer without complaint. Men were expected to be motivated by concern for others, especially their families, and guided by the desire, not just to have things, but to do good for others. Paul was not appealing to the chest pounding male bravado that celebrates personal victory, but to the willingness of fathers who work tirelessly to provide for their wives and children and give a helping hand to their neighbors.

Though we men do not always live up to that standard, it doesn’t mean the standard needs to be changed, transformed or updated. When we fail (as we often do), we instead need to refocus on the last phrase of Paul’s instructions, “Let all you do, be done in love.” Yesterday was my wife’s birthday and I bought her flowers (which she loved!). But Nancy’s expectations for me do not end with flowers. I do not get to just drop off a bouquet and then act like a jerk for the rest of the year. Love is fairly pedestrian. It slogs along through the battlefield of life, pressing ahead one step at a time and dodging incoming fire, while working its way towards the goal that God sets. At what is that goal? It is the Cross of Jesus Christ, because that is where true love and courage is to be found. We need to be reminded that Jesus went to the cross, not just because he had to, or was forced into the situation, but because He chose to give His life. He set the example of what it meant to “Act like men. Our challenge on this anniversary of D-Day is to do the same and to give our lives, one day at a time, with courage, faith, and most of all by the help of Almighty God and with His blessing on the undertaking that we have before us.