Having lived in a military community for the past 20 years, the idea of going to battle has taken on new meaning for me. The church that was in Mainz, Germany, in the early 2000’s had several members who were deployed to Iraq in 2003. One of the brethren returned home for R&R and spoke about his experiences in Baghdad. He commented that the biggest problem was the difficulty in knowing who the enemy was. Being able to distinguish between the people who were loyal to Sadam versus those who welcomed the US military was complicated at best and hopeless at worst.

It was a Wednesday night.  Right before leaving for worship services, I heard on the news that the US was engaged in a war.  I was in college, and this was the first time I had been truly aware that our country had soldiers actively fighting in a foreign land.  It made my stomach hurt, and I was uneasy.  I left the house that night expecting to see most people in red, white, and blue, talking about this war, hanging their American flags outside their homes.  What I saw were people going about, doing what they always do.  No anxiety, no concerned conversations…just business as usual.  Why?  Because the battle was far away from home.

For 14 years God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach a monthly class for teenage girls. We have covered a variety of topics pertinent to Christian teens trying to live holy lives in a world where doing so is counter cultural. 

If you have explored the commitment that one makes when joining the United States Army, you will find that those who voluntarily answer the call to serve are highly valued; as stated in the U.S. Army recruitment literature: “Enlisted Soldiers are the most important part of the Army structure. They carry out orders and complete missions. As a Soldier, you will be challenged to accomplish tasks that will put your abilities to the test, and you will discover talents that you never dreamed you had.”

As I have pondered this effort and the small contribution I am able to make to other women, striving to live for Christ all over the world, the simplicity, difficulty and universality of our discipleship has occurred to me repeatedly. I am certainly no paragon of Christian virtue, but that is the beauty of the grace of God. If my virtue was the standard, I, with the whole of humanity, would be doomed. So, I have thrown myself upon the mercy of God and accepted the challenge to put on the armor discussed in Ephesians 6:10-20 to fight in his army.

I’ve found God and believe that in Jesus is my hope of salvation. I want to live my life in his service and to his glory. But do I have what it takes to be a life-long disciple and a soldier of Christ? I see my own ignorance and weakness, the obstacles in front of me and my regretful past, and I wonder if I can do it. At some point in our lives, I think we’ve all asked this question and doubted our ability to remain loyal and be brave. When I look at myself and my service, too often it’s not a valiant soldier that I see.