Faith Matters: As Uncle Sam would say, “Men, Your Country Needs You!”

By Jerry Travelstead

This Sunday, August 18th at 5 p.m. there will be a memorial service for Thomas Lee Williams at Valier 1st Baptist Church. Tom is a part of a dying breed of Godly men in our country. A breed of man who would proudly bear a t-shirt stating “God and Family are Life, the Rest is Just Details.”  I could go on and on about the positive male role model that Tom was to me and many others. From his bone crushing hand shake, which came with his decades of brick and block laying, to his ever so soft heart. Tom was truly a Godly man and an unequivocal male role model for any young (or not so young) man that he came in contact with. He will always be remembered as a pillar of strength, a pillar, standing firmly on the Rock of Salvation.

Psalms 62:2 says, “Truly he is my Rock and my Salvation; he is my Fortress, I will never be shaken.” Like never before, I feel this verse needs to be believed in. Jesus Christ is my Rock. Jesus Christ is my Salvation. Jesus Christ is my Fortress. And I will NEVER be shaken. We live in a culture where we have a mentality, or even an expectation, that everyone is to make mistakes, major mistakes. Don’t get me wrong I have made, and continue to make, mistakes every day of my life. However, as Christian men we have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to God, to our families, and to the young men and women around us. We need to stand up and be different! Our young men and women are inundated with poor examples of men of influence in our country who continue to disappoint.

We need Christian men, young and not so young, to stand up and make a commitment to God. To stand firm just as Thomas Lee Williams did throughout his life. We need to hold strong to Psalms 62:2. We need to remind ourselves daily that we influence those around us and ask God for the strength and wisdom to go about our lives in a way that glorifies Him. We need to go about our lives in a way in which other men look at us and know that we are serious about our Faith in God. We need to set our expectations high, knowing full well we will make mistakes. But, not allowing ourselves to make the kind of mistakes that permanently scar the young men and women around us. Accountability may have been lost a generation or two ago. But as Christian men it is mandatory that we bring in back into our lives.

Men of God, stand firm on the Rock of your Salvation! Do your part in raising the bar for the next generation. Put down your video game controller and pick up your Sword of the Spirit. Be a pillar in your family, in your church, in your community, and in your country. Refuse to be “shaken” as the psalmist stated. Take up your cross and follow Him.

Jerry Travelstead

Finally I would like to leave you with this well-known verse out of Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:10-19 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”