When I was going through basic training for the Air Force I was the only one that didn’t qualify on the firing range. My flight along with our sister flight marched quite a distance to the range during the hot July Sun. I am not making excuses just a bad shot that day. Our assignment was to fire semi-automatic rifles and hit a target 100 yards away. Out of approximately 100 airmen I was the only one that didn’t qualify that day because I was two shots short of the mark.
To say the least it was embarrassing. We were marched back to our barracks by the Training Instructor of our sister flight. Of course he knew the results of each flight and in front of everyone asked, “Who is the one that failed to qualify?”
“Sir, it was me, sir!” I said. He asked where I was from and when I answered “Mississippi”, he replied, “Don’t they teach you to shoot down there?” Nothing else was said to me from anyone but I was totally embarrassed for the last two weeks of my training. I was not used to losing much less coming in last place.
So many of us go through life punishing ourselves for something we should have done better but didn’t. How many times have we failed to complete projects because we became tired, annoyed, or simply lost our concentration? How many times have we let situations pass us by when we had the opportunity to speak up and possibly change the outcome to a better ending? It seems that our nation is changing because many of us have taken lackadaisical attitudes toward right versus wrong? After all, we are living in an imperfect world and why should we care about improving it.
We are told in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
This should be all the motivation we need to do the best we can. We should strive for perfection and not give into the imperfections or the low standards of a sinful world. When we have the opportunity to stand up or speak up when something is out of line and heading the wrong direction we should do it. After all, God gave us a perfect world and man allowed Satan to persuade us to make a mess of it. We must remember that Satan is still at work today and leading us down a road of destruction straight to Hades.
Regarding my firing range failure I knew I could and would do better. I did qualify at my next duty station as an expert marksman.
We can all overcome our failures and embarrassments if we would turn our lives over to Jesus and allow Him to direct our paths. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not I invite you to personally accept Him and let Him lead your life so that you can reap His retirement which is out of this world.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for being my Savior and guiding me the direction you want me to travel.
Forgive me of the times I have taken my eyes off of you and gone the way of the world. Amen.
