But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Luke 19:8 (NIV)
Zacchaeus was a rich leader in Jericho, but a despised one. He was a tax collector for the Romans who extorted his fellow Jews to his own advantage.
As military leaders, can we identify with a bad dude like this? If we’re honest there have been times when we’ve taken advantage of others for personal gain.
Our motives may not be obvious, but it’s still wrong, with such actions as conducting unnecessary training to look good or scheduling another inspection to enhance your record as commander. Volunteering your unit for deployment when you know your warriors and families need a break is also another example of wrong motives.
What’s the point? Once Zacchaeus talked with Jesus, he knew that he needed to make some changes in his life, particularly with the way he was treating others.
How about you? Has God shown you some needed changes in your life following prayer or time reading His Word? If so, make those changes now!
The content of this Devotional comes from “Daily Strength for the Battle (You, God’s Word, 5 Minutes): Volume 6 Developing the Leader in You” (2020) and is copyrighted by Scott and Judy McChrystal. Used with permission.
