The most important thing I learned during my husband’s military career is that it’s not about me.
The military just as God does, has a mission. The mission of the United States military is to fight and win our nations wars. God’s mission is to fight for us and to lead us to Heaven. God’s mission is greater than me or anything!
I am a reflection of my soldier.
My husband’s reputation among his peers had a lot to do with how our sons and I carried ourselves. Respect is earned through integrity and good character. Respect was vital for my husband to be successful in his job. We realized our place and we maintained it. We carried ourselves in a manner in which my husband’s peers knew he was a man of both integrity and good character.
There are guidelines and regulations in place for safety and to support the mission.
Without these regulations soldiers go awry. There is unity among soldiers when rules are in place and adhered to regardless of one’s opinion of that policy. These policies and regulations were not open to personal interpretation. They were black & white without any gray areas.
The Bible is full of guidelines to keep us on the path to eternal salvation. If we choose to overlook or ignore any of these guidelines, it could cost us our salvation. God is just and equal in judgement to each of us.
Disrespect was not tolerated.
In the military if you were disrespectful to anyone in leadership, there were consequences. Often, those being disrespectful were admonished very publicly. Sometimes the admonishment was done vocally, through physical fitness, through after-hours duty or in extreme circumstances, monetarily. However, the soldier was admonished, disrespect was never acceptable.
Romans 13:1-5 Tell us that those in authority are chosen of God. The Bible clearly tells us to respect our spiritual leaders. Numbers 12:8 says God spoke face to face with Moses and not in riddles. Who are we to criticize God’s servants?
Soldiers are very outspoken and blunt.
This is probably my favorite attribute of military life. With a soldier, you always knew where you stood. If you had “beef” with someone, you went to that person and you talked it out. Backbiting was minimal. It wasn’t necessary to pretend. Sometimes you just agreed that you didn’t care for each other, but you still continued to work together unified for the mission of the United States military.
Jesus was very outspoken and blunt but he, unlike soldiers, always spoke with love. He spoke and then he moved on. One of my favorite attributes of Jesus is that he is on my side even when I am wrong. However, I’m still subject to his corrections.
Your uniform matters.
A soldier’s uniform reflects the level of discipline he is at. A soldier’s uniform is universal regardless of one’s rank. They wear the same uniform, have the same footgear, same headgear and same guidelines for their hair. When I saw a soldier, I knew whose side he was on, and I knew what he stood for. To this day, I can spot a soldier just by his/her haircut.
If we think Jesus doesn’t care what we wear and what we look like, we are kidding ourselves. He is a God who designed the Tabernacle down to the thread count, the color of the thread, to the type of wood and the clothing of the priest. No, I don’t believe in rubber stamping us with the same color clothing, same lengths or even same shoes. But God does require unity and modesty. You should be recognized as being separate from the world.
If Jesus didn’t care what we look like, why would he bother cleaning us up and forgiving our sins?
We must be prepared.
Per my husband, the 5 p’s of life are Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. As a soldier you always have to be ready, as in combat ready. Preparing now for uncertainty ahead helps to mitigate problems that may arise and sets us up for success.
Matthew 25:1-13 is the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Only five of the virgins prepared ahead and had enough oil in their lamps. We must be prepared. We don’t know when our door will close.
Provisions.
In return for a soldier’s dedication and sacrifice, certain provisions were given. We were given an income, housing and medical insurance. Another provision I used was counseling. It felt good to pour my heart out to a counselor until I regained my strength.
Philippians 4:19 reminds us that God will supply our every need. He provides for our physical needs, spiritual needs, our healing, our counseling, anything we may need.
Conclusion.
Submission to both military life and God didn’t come easy for me. In fact, I told God I was going to do it my way. In essence, he did let me do it my way. Once I wanted to please God, he let me, and I’ve never regretted it. I haven’t missed my old life even one bit. Life is better now. I know who I depend on, and I trust Him.
In part, as a current military mom, mom to a veteran and wife to a veteran, I’m still living the military life. It’s a great honor to serve both God and country.
Do A New Thing 