Before I spent a summer at West Point, I always thought of Army soldiers as Infantrymen. They were young, well-trained soldiers wearing a helmet and carrying a rifle while singing quirky songs – kind of like the elephants in the Jungle Book. Little did I realize that the men and women in the army did not enter the military that way.
These young men and women committed to protecting and serving their nation, but they probably didn’t understand that they were stepping into an entirely different lifestyle. Suddenly, they were waking up at 5:00AM every day to do morning cleaning, gathering at 6:30AM to make a rectangle of people and salute the flag, and exercising from 6:30AM to 8:00AM. Afterwards, they quickly showered, then made another rectangle of people and did a synchronized walk to the dining facility for breakfast.
That’s just three hours of one day. I could continue…but I think you get the idea.
My point is that this transformation is a two to three-month process in which men and women learn to walk, talk, and act like Soldiers. At first, many struggle to conform to this new life style; but over time, through the Sergeants in charge of them, they learn the discipline of being a Soldier.
Becoming a Christian and submitting to God’s leadership is a similar process. Often, when we first accept salvation, we do not fully understand what it means to sign up for God’s army. In fact, many people fail to pass the first week of basic training. Like the seeds that fall on the footpath, they realize the Army is not easy and they quit. For those of us who stick around, that leaves us in the soil or fighting to survive the thorns.
Many of us want to serve his Kingdom and live out His will, yet we struggle with basic rules. Not speaking ill of our brothers and sisters, not letting our minds wander about someone we find attractive, and the list goes on. Moreover, we have naysayers who ask why would you wake up early to read The Bible? Why do you obey rules written 2000 years ago? Why are you leaving your home for 11 months to tell others about a God you can’t even see?
We face persecution and on all sides. So what do we do? Well, here’s an answer in 3 army-styled steps.
Step 1: Make friends in your struggle. If we are committed to God’s training plan, we recognize that we need friends in God’s Army. We call this the church or the Body of Christ. Find one.
Step 2: You must commit to the Army lifestyle and the training. Like many new Christians, you are suddenly met by rules, training activities, and people holding you to a new standard. To be a good Soldier for God, you need all these things – reading the Bible, fasting, prayer, accountability, instructors. You may not recognize their importance at this moment, but these tools are the fundamentals of soldiering like Jesus – the ultimate soldier.
Step 3: Learn to be disciplined / have a routine. You committed to Christ and joined His army. It’s a big deal. But now it’s time for boot camp baby! Commit to waking up and reading your bible or listening to a sermon while driving into work. Take 10 minutes in your car at lunch to pray or read a devotional. Pray for 20 solid minutes before going to bed. Create a prayer list so that 10 minutes is filled with quality petitions for grace and 10 minutes is open to listen for his voice.
Step 3 is the hardest step and it takes time. For example, I failed my first mission leading my team, but I learned from my mistakes and committed to learning from my mistakes. Eventually, my performance improved and my boss selected me for promotion.
In God’s army, if you show success in the small things with the right attitude, God sees it. He will promote you (if you choose to accept his promotion). But it takes time, discipline, and a commitment to God’s training plan.
Hope that’s not too over the top!
Blessings,
Charles
