Veterans Day: What Military Families Taught Me About Faithfulness

A few months after graduating from college, I found myself in South Alabama in a town called Enterprise, working as an administrative assistant at a church. I had approximately one friend who was twice my age, and yet, despite this difference, she became one of my dearest friends. I was content with having this one friend, yet God in his kindness provided more friendships through a means I did not expect—the military.

I started going to a young adult class at my church, made up of mostly military men and women, along with their spouses. Since the Enterprise area is home to Fort Novosel, the Army Aviation training post, there were believers in the military who desired Christian community, and many found it in this small group. I dearly loved my first friend, but I also desired community with more people my age. Out of this group, I found the community I desired. Even though this community of believers had a limited time at the church due to their military orders only lasting for a year and a half, I saw how they faithfully lived for Christ in the meantime.

Christians can learn from believers in the military by the way they love others, point to the gospel, and serve the local church. Here are three ways I have seen believers in the military live devoted lives to the Lord:

1. They’re quick to make close friends, not just acquaintances.

Military members are quick to create friendships. Since their time is usually limited in any specific place, they quickly move past surface-level conversations that generally happen when making friendships. This careful yet quick friendship development teaches believers the importance of deep community rather than superficial acquaintanceships. These military members were quick to create friendships when often all they had in common is the military and Jesus, showing how foundational our faith was in developing relationships. Believers should also build deep friendships through a shared faith in Christ. When Christ is our anchor for friendships, it helps us live faithfully as believers and spur one another toward Christlikeness.

2. They keep Christ central, even around different perspectives.

While living in Enterprise, I led a women’s Bible study that included a mix of female soldiers, military spouses, and a handful of civilians. It was exciting and challenging as each week, I prepared to teach a group that often did not share the same denominational background. The diverse backgrounds made the gospel necessary to permeate and centralize every conversation. We frequently agreed to disagree on minor points, keeping the truth of the gospel central. When the gospel is central to teaching, believers are equipped to live faithful lives as they remember their own salvation and have the encouragement to share the hope of Christ with others. Additionally, serving the military community helps the church to see the benefit of different perspectives and the importance of keeping Christ central in teaching or preaching.

3. They’re eager to serve the church.

In the church I served in, the members connected to the military were very eager to serve. Due to the nature of their training, some of them had extra time on their hands and wanted to use that time well. Others still loved and wanted to invest in the local church, even with limited spare time. Many of them could be found on a Sunday morning teaching preschoolers about Jesus, investing in the lives of high schoolers, greeting members and guests of the church with a friendly face, or making sure the audio and visuals were working smoothly during the services. Seeing their faithfulness to serve, despite knowing they would not be at that church for long, encouraged me to love the local church more. Serving the local church should be about a passionate love for Christ’s bride, regardless of how long you might be there.

Conclusion

While I may not always keep in touch with those friends that I made through this military community, I know that they are faithful at their new home, and I hold dear their friendships and what they taught me about devotion to Christ. Despite knowing they would not be there for long, my friends’ faithful service is how Christians should live wherever they are.  Our life passes like vapor, but that does not mean we sit back idly letting life pass us by. We should love others deeply when we have the chance, keep the gospel central in all our relationships, and serve the church eagerly, all while longing for the day when Christ returns.