In this love of neighbor, God commands us to protect and defend those we love, especially the vulnerable. Jesus and Paul likewise call believers to love our enemies. How do we do this? How do we protect our people while loving our enemies? This is why it is important that we think clearly about the right order of our loves. After our first love for God, we love our families. By extension, we love our people and our place. I contend that a Christian worldview of military service follows ordered loves as an expression of love of neighbor by supporting, protecting, and defending the people and place that we love.
As a Christian and a veteran, I have given advice to young people considering military service. There are many practical matters, but I believe the following three principles are foundational for helping Christians serve well and faithfully in the military.
Join a Local Church
By far, my number one piece of advice to Christians in the military is to join a local church quickly. I cannot overstate this point. The local church is God’s ordained way of making the gospel visible. We should not join a church simply because it is a good thing to do or because we gain some benefits from it. We join a church to worship God by submitting to leaders who are charged to watch over our souls, by loving one another, and by becoming disciples of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, join a local church off base where Scripture is clearly and consistently proclaimed.
Military members move frequently, but don’t let that be an excuse. Find a healthy local church, get involved, and plant roots there. I encourage even short-term military members to join a local church so that when you move, your absence will be felt.
Since my wife and I were married, we have lived in ten locations and quickly joined a local church in each. In one case, it was very short—3 months! Each of these churches was where we linked arms with other Christians, where we heard the word of God proclaimed, worshiped corporately, and served together. We developed strong relationships, and the church provided stability for our family amid many changes. Even though we knew we would move in the future, we saw how God used the people and places of each of these churches as means of grace in our lives. We now have a network of saints from our local churches in each location. So, join a local church!
Find a Wingman
In Air Force culture, we utilize the concept of a wingman, an aircraft that supports by watching for threats, communicating important information, and improving overall situational awareness. This mutually supportive wingman concept resonates beyond aviation, both on and off duty.
My advice to Christians in the military is to find at least one Christian wingman and be one yourself. Knowing many Christians at your duty location is good, but I have found that at least one particularly close brother is vital.
The military sends young men and women to many locations, both at home and abroad. While there are positive cultural aspects in the military, there are also negative ones. Anyone serving in the military will likely be exposed to unwholesome talk and behaviors. At times, it may seem that unrighteousness is pervasive. This is where a Christian wingman will help build moral courage “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Col 1:10). The opportunity to link arms with a brother in Christ is an enormous grace of God for encouragement and accountability.
My closest Air Force friends were Christian men who sharpened me spiritually and vocationally. Their families were great friends to my family. Our wives’ lives were intertwined. Our kids grew up together. These families are some of the sweetest joys of our lives even now that we are out of the military. Yet we are connected because we linked arms as Christians while serving in the military.
Do Not Make the Military Your Identity
Even though serving in the military is a good endeavor for Christians, military service is not a Christian’s ultimate identity. Christians who serve in the military fundamentally belong to Christ. This honorable expression of love of neighbor is a special service for a limited time. It is a noble calling, but it is not your ultimate calling.
If you have a family while serving in the military, do not neglect your spouse and children. In their own way, they are serving and sacrificing too. There may be many moves, long hours, and deployments. Don’t destroy your family for your military service. I know of men and women who concluded that continued military service was no longer healthy for their families. Stay in tune with your family.
When my wife and I began dating during college, I was an ROTC cadet. When we married, we knew that we were willing to go where the military would send us. Initially, we were not planning a long military career. However, as the Lord kept giving me opportunities, I routinely checked in with my wife to make sure that she was on board.
As I neared my retirement from the Air Force, I told cadets at the Air Force Academy that I was married before I joined the military, and that, by God’s grace, I would be married after I retired. My point was that while I loved serving in the Air Force, my time in the service was finite. My family is a higher love than the Air Force. Don’t let military service supplant your family, and don’t let military service draw your affections away from the Lord.
This brings us back to where we started—ordered loves. Christian military service is rightly understood as a vocation to love our neighbors by protecting and defending a people and a place and restraining evil. Love God first and others second, to the glory of God, even while serving in the military.
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