"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." These ten words from 2 Corinthians 3:17 have been central in my life for as long as I can remember. And like every word in Scripture, these ten never grow old. I pray they never do. 

The Lord birthed my home church at a meeting in my parents' living room in the summer of 1976, America's bicentennial year. During a break in the action, a would-be charter member strolled past a bicentennial calendar posted on our family's refrigerator, which sparked the brilliant idea that a church born on the 4th of Julyought to be called Freedom Baptist Church. What else could it have been? And as the church took shape, its "life verse" became obvious from the outset: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom." Could it have been anything else?

When the Lord called me to the chaplaincy in 1987 while serving as an Air Force line officer, he immediately led me to Liberty University, an institution whose own life verse mirrored that of my home church: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty." While I am not one to look for signs the Lord hasn't posted, I couldn't shake the thought that this connection was too close to be a coincidence. That thought only intensified when Vickey and I got married, PCSed a month later, and joined Liberty Baptist Church in southeastern Virginia as newlyweds. Becoming a Liberty chaplain seemed only natural. As it turns out, it was supernatural. It still is. 

The more I ponder the providence that is military ministry, the more connections I count between the Father and freedom. And while the general benefits of active faith are evident in the social science literature irrespective of religion, Liberty chaplains must understand the very real connection specified in Scripture between the Lord and liberty. 

For the abused, the Lord offers adoption. For the broken-hearted, belonging. For the depressed, deliverance. For failures, freedom. For the lost, liberty. For sinners, salvation. These realities and many more--the truth of 2 Corinthians 3:17--have marked my life on the receiving end more often than I know. Without a doubt, "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Helping interested warfighters and their families understand these realities in light of their own desire for liberty is what makes the chaplaincy so thrilling. And if chaplains don't do it as only chaplains can, it simply won't get done. What a tragedy that would be. 

As the verse says so well, it's verifiably true that liberty necessarily follows the Lord. The order is unmistakable. First the Lord, then liberty. But with respect to our various ministries as Liberty chaplains, is the reverse equally true? It should be. More plainly, are the following ten words true of you and your ministry? "Where Liberty is, there is the Spirit of the Lord."

It doesn't happen automatically, you know. It's possible to get so caught up in administrativia that you fail to represent the ultimate Administrator. It's possible to do so much social work that nobody can tell the difference between you and a social worker. It's possible to focus so much on your career that you forget Christ. It's possible to become so rank-conscious that the Redeemer falls off your to-do list. Something tells me you know what I mean. 

In a system that requires you to wear your rank on your collar for everyone to see, it's possible for people to see you often but never see the Lord. To borrow an overused but accurate cliche, you can become so earthly minded that you're no heavenly good. When that happens, there's a lot less liberty to go around. 

For God's sake, don't let that happen. For your sake, don't go there. For the sake of those you've been called to serve, fight that temptation with every piece of spiritual ammunition in your arsenal. Be freed from the chains of careerism. Only then will you be able to help free others from shackles only the Savior can shake loose. 

Remember that 2 Corinthians 3:17 is as true for you as it is for everyone who accepts it: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." If you live that truth consistently, the reverse will be true as well: "Where Liberty is, there is the Spirit of the Lord."

(The opinions expressed by the author are his own and do not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or any other government agency.)