John 15

Verse 13: Jesus said "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."

I have a pretty good life. I have a great family, an amazing wife and a job that I love. I have great friends scattered around the country and I am surrounded by a loving community of believers. I live in a country where I am free to speak my mind and preach the gospel. I have enough money to pay my bills, eat good food, have a little fun, and support my church and other organizations that make the world a better place. I have a good life, which I’ve worked hard for.

But I realize that others around the world work hard too, maybe even harder, yet their lives are not as easy. Maybe they live in places that have been devastated by war or natural disaster, maybe they do not have the freedoms that I do, or maybe they just don’t have a loving support system.

I’m lucky… I realize that more now than I ever have. Some people would say that I’m not lucky, I’m blessed. Yes, I am blessed, but I’m lucky too. I think I’m lucky and blessed, and yes, I think there is a difference.

I’m lucky because of where I live. I’m blessed because of God’s love. A lot of people in America are lucky, but they don’t realize how blessed they are. And a lot of people around the world are blessed by our loving God, but they aren’t as lucky as I am.

I’m both blessed and lucky because people gave their lives for me.

As we celebrated Veteran’s Day in worship on Sunday, I was humbled by this thought: If men and women didn’t fight and die for my religious freedom, I wouldn’t be able to be a pastor... I wouldn’t be able to worship God. After I realized this, Veteran’s Day meant something totally different to me. It’s not a day to just thank a veteran, but it’s a day to crown them with honor them for their willingness to die for me. I am lucky to live in this country, made great by its veterans.  

Everything else I have is a gift from God. I’m here because of Him, I breathe because of Him, and I am loved because of Him.

I am free to live the way I do because millions of men and women fought and died for me.

I live the way I do because Jesus died for me.