Remember the Alamo

There is a legend in Texas of a line drawn in the sand by Col. William B. Travis on March 5, 1836. As the legend goes, Santa Anna and the Mexican army waited outside the Alamo, planning ways to breach its walls and kill the men desperately fighting inside. Travis knew there was little hope but decided to give his men a chance to run.

With his sword, Travis drew a line in the sand. "We must die," he began. "Our business is not to make a fruitless effort to save our lives, but to choose the manner of our death." All but one man crossed over that line, ready to make a final stand, ready to die. According to Travis, by crossing the line, they committed to "remain in this fort…resist every assault, and to sell our lives as dearly as possible."

The men who fought valiently at the Alamo died the morning after their decision when Santa Anna breached the walls and slaughtered every last man. But their sacrifice did not die. To this day, Texans remember the Alamo, remember the sacrifice, the brutal fight, and the purpose behind it - freedom.

We all draw lines in the sand. We all have a point of no return. Often, that line indicates a separation between right and wrong. The line does not allow for a gray area.

Just like Travis allowed his men to choose death or escape, so, too, Jesus Christ gives us the option to follow Him. Most people don't like the line in the sand. They want to earn eternal life on their own terms, with no set standards or holy God holding them accountable for what they don't feel like doing. The line in the sand is not popular, but it is immovable. 

In John 14:6, Jesus draws His own line in the sand: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Crossing this line means following Him into battle, obeying His commands, being willing to die, understanding His sacrifice on the cross. It is not a guarantee of a happy ending, but it is a guarantee of a life of worth and significance with a Commander and Chief who only has your best at heart.

He isn't a dictator. His death on the cross and resurrection afforded us a choice. The line in the sand at the Alamo represented an option for men to choose to be courageous and live and die in such a way that mattered. That is what choosing to follow Christ is all about.

Do you have the courage to cross the line? Will you trust Him enough to follow Him no matter what? If you don't understand what crossing this line looks like, check out the tab at the top of this page called "know Jesus." I have never met anyone who regretted the decision.