Prepare the Way — Show Up

via TJC

“A voice of one calling:‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” ~Isaiah 40:3

In 2026, we are all familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We know his legacy of nonviolent direct action. We know his speeches. We know he was a pastor, a leader—and tragically, that he was assassinated. We know his name, and we know there is a day set aside to honor him.

But have you ever wondered why we collectively know these things?

Oddly enough, it’s not simply because of what he did. It wasn’t only because of his works.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the law establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. That moment marked the culmination of nearly a decade-long effort—an effort carried forward by Dr. King’s family and championed publicly by artist Stevie Wonder. The first bill proposing the holiday was introduced in 1979 and failed in the House of Representatives. It returned to the House floor in 1983 and passed decisively, 338–90. The bill then moved to the Senate, where it was initially filibustered before ultimately passing by a vote of 78–22.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first observed on January 20, 1986. Even then, not every state recognized it. New Hampshire and South Carolina did not do so until 1999 and 2000.

Legacy, as it turns out, requires people who are willing to show up long after the moment has passed.

Why does that matter?

Because as Kingdom Men, we understand that sometimes someone has to show up and speak into the culture so that blessing and goodness can be realized later.

Joshua and Caleb showed up to pave the way for Israel.John the Baptist showed up to prepare the way for Christ.Christ showed up to make a way for us. Early church leaders showed up so we would know what He had done.

And now, we are called to pave the way for someone else.

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”— Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Dr. King wrote these words in August 1963 while imprisoned in the Birmingham, Alabama city jail. When you read the letter—and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t—you’ll notice that he is appealing to his fellow pastors and ministry leaders to pause for a moment. To listen. To understand. And to show up.

Showing up is an act of care.It requires us to pause, to listen, to understand—and then to act.

Isn’t that exactly what the Father does for us?

Dr. King showed up for his country and for his community. His family and friends showed up to testify to who he was and to ensure his life’s work was honored. Political leaders showed up to secure his legacy so that future generations would remember.

Most of us will never be called to show up on a national stage.

Isaiah spoke of a voice crying out in the wilderness—preparing the way of the Lord. John the Baptist became that voice. He understood his role. He was not the destination—he was the wayfinder. He showed up so that others could see Christ more clearly.

That same calling rests with us.

Every time we choose to pause, listen, understand, and show up, we help make straight a path for God’s work in someone else’s life. We may never see the full harvest—but faithfulness prepares the road.

Daily Battle Order:

Today, don’t just think about Dr. King and read the letter (https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf)Think about all those who showed up across decades so that we would even know his name.

Then look around, ask, and pray: “Lord, who can I show up for today?”