WATCHWORDS
Are you familiar with the term, “watchword?” If not, let me introduce you to it. And if you are, then please pardon my outsider’s view of its use and power.
If you are on night watch, you call out, “Eleven o’clock and all’s well.” If you are breaking the huddle to run the play, you might circle up and have everyone get their hand into the circle and say “go, team” on the break. Other watchwords have defined missions or whole generations. “Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die.” “For God and country.” “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” “Remember the Alamo!” Or the watchword for Israel in Joshua’s day was “Be strong and courageous!” Some churches, and most organizations, have some purpose statement, or mission statement that drives every decision in the organization. It’s like an advertising slogan, which captures the mission in an image and a word or phrase. A watchword emboldens and unifies a group.
Here is a multi-point watchword the Paul uses as he is closing his letter to Corinth:
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
Let’s break it down:
“Be on your guard.” Paul had said to be watchful earlier in the letter. “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” We are told to be watchful in prayer, to watch out for the devil who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. We are told to be watching for the Day of the Lord. And we are told not to be misled about relationships. When we let down our guard and coast, we are likely to lose control and end up somewhere that we never intended to be.
“Stand firm in the faith,” Do not “sit” or “lie down” in the faith. Do not “walk around,” either. “Stand.” “Stand firm.” Let nothing move you. Do not yield your ground. You don’t have to be mean to people around you. But if you don’t have your footing, then you are likely to be blown about by every wind and wave of doctrine that comes along. And be sure that where you have planted your feet is “in the faith.” Don’t try to stand in the goodness of men, or to stand in love, or to stand in your own goodness. The only foundation that can set your feet onto is that of “faith.” More particularly, “in THE faith.” Trust in the resurrected Jesus, in the Scriptures, in the power of the Spirit, and let that faith be your foundation and support.
“Be courageous”. This sounds like the watchword in Joshua.“Be strong and courageous.” In the King James version, he says, “quit ye like men,” which seems like a mysterious wording for meaning. “Act like men” is my favorite way to say it. As a man and a teacher of men, I like to think “what does a (true) man act like?” Compared to a boy? Compared to a “poser?” I think we all learn how to be men by watching others mimicking what we see in them. And so, most (not all) men learn how to gesture, to carry things, to pronounce their words, to dress, and so much more, like a man. It’s all cultural. It’s not genetic. So how else could you explain the amazing uniformity of those things I just mentioned? It’s because we imitate men who influence us. So my next question is, why not learn to imitate men in the most essential areas? How to pray, how to love your wife, how to talk to children, how to keep your word, how to resolve conflict, how to respond to potential sources of irritation. How to love. How to be courageous in the face of danger. What kind of danger? Why would we need to be courageous? What is there to be afraid of? I’m going to let that sit unanswered, assuming that the answer is implied by the question.
“Be strong.” Don’t be weak. Don’t back down in the face of temptation, or opposition, or doubt, or loneliness, or discouragement, or theological arguments, or depression, or corruption, or the company of immoral people (remember yesterday’s lesson about bad company corrupting good morals? It’s standing up to peer pressure.). Do not be weak. Do not compromise. Do not give in. Do not—what’s the word—loiter. or solicit. Instead, be strong. Be bold.
“Do everything in love.” After all those sort of manly admonitions about being on guard, and standing firm, and being strong and courageous, this one seems to head off at a different angle. Whatever you do, do it all in love. Which, again, was the point of chapter 13. It summarizes and balances all the rest by addressing the motive behind every other act. You can be strong, but be a spiritual bully. But if you do EVERYTHING in love, then you are never being oppositional or disrespectful, even when you are in the midst of spiritual battle. So if you are doing everything in love, you are always patient, always kind, never envious, never boastful or proud. You honor others, you don’t seek your own ways, you are not easily angered, you keep no record of wrongs. You do not delight in evil, but you rejoice with the truth. You always protect, always trust, always hope and always endure.
You will never fail. Amen.
May you learn to act like a man today and forever. Amen.
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