A.W.O.L.

Being a Christian is often compared to being in the military. We are commanded to fight the good fight (1 Tim 6:12) and to put on the armor of God (Eph 6:10-20). We are warned of our adversary, his schemes, and the nature of the war (Eph 6:11-12). The spiritual war we are in is described throughout the Bible. It is not like a human war where there can be multiple sides who are engaged and parties that remain neutral. There are only two sides and if you are not on one side, you are on the other. While we are born on the side of evil, we have the choice of whether or not we stay on it or defect to its opposition.

We also have the option to not fight. This is not a wise decision. I discovered that first hand. I have personally chosen to be on the side of good, but I fell victim to an evil scheme that worked in favor of my enemy. I had been fighting the good fight for a long time and was very tired. I needed rest, but instead of coming to Jesus to receive it, I took it for myself and went A.W.O.L.

A.W.O.L. stands for absent without official leave. It means that you have left your position without the approval of your commanding officer. You haven’t deserted your unit, where you don’t plan on not coming back, but you have neglected your post and are in disobedience to your orders. Going A.W.O.L. ultimately did me more harm than good. While not fighting felt good initially, it left me unprotected and my post unmanned. This allowed the enemy to gain advantages he would not have had if I had been serving faithfully.

While damage was done, the Lord was able to work it all together for good (Rom 8:28) and not only reinstated me to my post, but promoted me as well. God knows we become battle weary and need rest, refreshment, and replenishment. When you get discouraged and feel like you can’t fight any more, don’t go A.W.O.L.! Go to your Commander and He will give you the rest you need (Mat 11:28-29).