One of the most inspiring speeches I’ve ever had the privilege of hearing took less than 30 seconds to deliver;
One of the most inspiring speeches I’ve ever had the privilege of hearing took less than 30 seconds to deliver; It goes a little something like this:
Three military recruiters are asked to speak at an auditorium packed with high school students. The Navy recruiter steps up first and spends twenty minutes discussing how great the Navy is and the benefits of being a part of it. Not to be outdone the Air force recruiter spends the next twenty-five minutes lauding his branch and speaking highly of the opportunities offered within.
Finally, a Sergeant in the United States Army steps to the podium. He stands there perusing the audience in complete silence for an eternity of 60 seconds sizing up the crowd. The Sergeant takes a long and deep breath exhaling a phrase in a voice that communicates nothing but strict truth:
“I don’t think there are more than three people in this audience that can make it as soldiers."
“After this assembly,” he proceeds, “I want to see all three of you in the cafeteria.”
The mob of students that answered his call was overwhelming.
Outreach takes many forms. I am not suggesting a blanket approach to call people to recovery or the faith, but you may do well to at least understand that the way of God is unspeakably awesome, unparalleled in its ability to satisfy the soul, and rewarding beyond measure. Desperate pleas to offer recovery, and by extension salvation, can communicate something other than how great what God has to offer really is.
We should not communicate conceit or a callous message to others, but in our own minds and hearts we must be convinced of the truth of God’s blessings for those who put their trust in him. “Many are called but few are chosen” is a Scriptural truth that the US military has come to understand and that we as Christians need to keep at the forefront of our minds as we deliver our message during outreach.