The phrase “boots on the ground” is a military idiom referring to troops being deployed into a conflict zone. Brave soldiers will be physically present in areas where they will meet resistance and struggle.

Christians are called to be Christ’s boots on the ground. That means carrying our faith into places where it isn’t always welcome, and doing so with both courage and care. At some point, faith has to leave the classroom and step onto the battlefield.

That looks different depending on the day. Sometimes it’s helping a neighbor with a project. Sometimes it’s telling someone a hard truth. Sometimes it’s sitting with a person who’s hurting. Sometimes it’s just serving quietly, with no credit at all.

Jesus didn’t only teach about compassion; he touched lepers, fed the hungry, and welcomed the outcast. He put boots on the ground. We’re called to do the same.

So today: don’t just think about your faith, and don’t just talk about it. Act on it. Someone near you needs encouragement, help, hope, or simply to hear about Jesus.

No mission has ever been won from a distance. It takes boots on the ground.

One mysterious part of being a Christian is discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Most often, he speaks to us directly through his word in our Bibles. When someone reads the Bible, it is the “Sword of the Spirit” that cuts into our lives. Every person who follows Jesus believes this to some degree.

How else does the Holy Spirit speak to us? I believe he can speak through preachers and teachers who explain what the Bible says. He can also use books, podcasts, and even lowly blogs like this one.

How else can the Holy Spirit work? He can use circumstances and events to show us which doors are open and which are closed. He can nudge our conscience in prayer. Possibly even speak to us with a still, small voice.

I also believe the Holy Spirit can speak to us through other believers. This one is often the most complicated for people to believe.

While speaking with another pastor about getting people to step up as volunteers, he suggested, “I just ask the Holy Spirit to lay it on their heart to get involved.” It sounds noble and deeply spiritual. My response was much more basic: “I simply tell them that they need to be involved to be a part of our membership.”

You see, I have read the Bible, prayed, watched people grow in their faith, and seen the impact of serving in a Church community, and I am sure God desires to see them serve. So, I get to play the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives. I can speak and tell them what they need to do with their faith.

Amazingly enough, the Holy Spirit uses people to share his message and direction. In fact, in the Bible, he uses people more than anything else to further his work. As Christians, we rarely need to withdraw, go into nature, and sit quietly until we hear God speak. Instead, we need to read our Bibles, pray, and talk to mature believers. His voice is the clearest in community, but it is the easiest place to ignore it. Perhaps God is using the person challenging you to be the Holy Spirit’s voice in your life. Are you even listening?

Heroes are people who do that most counterintuitive thing: they run toward trouble.

When the planes hit the towers, they ran inside trying to help people. When the shots rang out, they moved toward the shooters to reduce the number of victims. When disaster hits a community, they drive into the chaos looking for people to help.

Recently, I showed my staff a clip of a sermon by a youth pastor. He used an illustration during his message of one of the girls who attended his youth group. She came to visit, then at the end of the night she grabbed him to say she would never return. He inquired about the reason for her disappointment. She explained how no one greeted her when she arrived. She was not made to feel welcome, and that was very important to her. 

This wise pastor responded, “Come back and next week you can be in charge of our greeters.” His words were received with a blank stare. He continued, “You know what it is like to be left out and now you can make sure no one else feels this way.”

In my experience, when someone encounters a problem in the Church or in its ministry, the natural tendency is to quit. The result is that the problem gets worse, and there are now fewer people to handle it.

What the Church needs is more people who see problems and then run toward them to help. There is always room for someone willing to act heroically.