This Monday was Memorial Day. It is a day when we celebrate and remember the heroes who helped bring freedom to our nation. It’s an important holiday because it helps us to realize just how priceless freedom is and what it costs for us to have it. It’s something we must always be mindful of and not ever take lightly. Human lives were and continue to be lost in order for us to live the lives of freedom we enjoy today. Someone once said, “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.”

What does that mean? That we should be mindful of how we are living. We should never take these blessings for granted. Instead, we should be living life to the fullest and striving toward our full potential. Anything less does not appropriately honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice that gives us the lives that we have today.

Our faith is the biggest part of that. Our relationship with Jesus should be the driving force of all we do. Just as our military heroes sacrificed greatly for the physical peace we experience in this life; Jesus was sacrificed so that we could experience complete and total freedom. Jesus’ death on the cross means that nothing can hold us back any longer. We can forge ahead to our greatest victories, realize our greatest achievements, and become everything God has called us to be.

John 15:13 beautifully captures the spirit of Memorial Day. It reads, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  Our fallen soldiers gave their lives for you. Jesus gave His life for you. These are things we must NEVER forget and always hold close to our hearts.

John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” This quote is not only true in terms of honoring our nation and its fallen heroes, but also in how we honor God.

Let this Memorial Day be one that reminds and inspires us about many things: the amazing heroes who make our nation great and free, the loving and freeing sacrifice of Jesus, and our ability to live out the fullness of our God-given potential. Be blessed this Memorial Day!

You can write the Pastor at pastorbilly@findtruelife.com.