I was reading last Monday about the Wellington Bomber and the role it played in winning World War 2.
The article is on the BBC News website and is worth reading if you have the time.
Something that really struck me while reading it though was a little sidebar with a quote from historian AJP Taylor. He said this:
In Churchill’s first speech to the House of Commons after he was prime minister, he defined his policy as victory at all costs.
He meant victory even if the British Empire were to perish, victory even if we were to be an impoverished country.
Another quote [from Churchill]: “I have only one aim in life – that is to defeat Hitler, and that makes things very simple for me.”
Whatever sacrifices were needed, he was ready to make [them] and he recognised that Great Britain should make them.
From his 1976 BBC series The War Lords
Victory At All Costs.
Victory at all costs is an interesting concept and one which many of us struggle with. The sentiment was basically “we may end up with nothing. We may end up being essentially a third world country but at least we will still be free, we won’t be under Nazi rule.
It is my belief that Winston Churchill’s strength and courage in his convictions led to the winning of the war. If he had not kept Britain going then when the USA finally decided to join the battle, it may already have been too late.
That quote from Churchill really struck home to me. “I have only one aim in life….. and that makes things very simple for me.”
What if we were to live like that?
The Christian Aim
Assuming that the concept that when we become Christians, we are ‘saved’ and rescued from the hands of the evil one is true, then why are we left here in this fallen world?
Why don’t we get whisked away to paradise as soon as we become part of God’s family?
The only answer I can see to this perplexing question is that we are left here to share the good news of salvation with others. I cannot see any other reason for God to leave us here in this world of suffering and pain other than to do everything we can to bring everyone we know with us when we do finally go.
If that is true then surely, like Churchill, we have only one aim in life – and that should make things very simple for us.
Churchill’s one aim was to beat Hitler. It didn’t matter what the cost to him or his family or his country, he was focused and dedicated to his one aim.
Is The Cost Too Great?
Can we truly say the same. Can we say that we are dedicated to our one aim? Can we say that we will pursue that aim no matter what the cost to us?
Or do we weigh up the costs to ourselves and sometimes decide that the cost is too great?
We have a savior who weighed up the cost to himself, saw how immense that cost was and yet decided that no cost was too great to save us.
Can you do the same?
I spoke about focus yesterday and wrote about it today so I'm on the same page with you, Peter. You're so right. We try to temper our response to radical grace, but the only real response is radical surrender of everything. Full stop. We have to entrust everything (including family, house, all that) to Him and He never fails.
Thank you for a wonderful reminder.
I don't know when or how Christianity became a bolt-on part of our lives rather than BEING our lives but you're right, radical surrender is the only way.
This is a great post. Something I wrote about similarly not too long ago! You are dead-on! We remain so that others may know the awesome hope and grace that exists through Jesus!
Thanks, Brian.