“Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?” (1 Cor. 9:7)
During our lunchtime Bible study, our chaplain was teaching from 1 Cor. 9 on compensating those who preach the gospel for a living. Paul made a handful of comparisons to show how it would be unreasonable to expect those who are called to minister full-time to do so for free. He mentions three vocations in 1 Cor. 9:7: soldiers, those who tend vineyards, and those who raise animals.
I am not going to discuss how much salary a pastor should get these days. But I will say that in all three of the examples Paul mentions above, the inherent worth of the workers who take on these dirty jobs and the intrinsic value of their work is a given. Their work truly matters to God.
As a retired soldier, I know that the military does get paid, although not very well. (However, the medical and other benefits do help immensely.) This has probably always been an issue. John the Baptist told soldiers to “be content with their pay” (Luke 3:14), which is a still a struggle now.
To ensure our country’s freedom, men and women and their families have given up some of their own individual freedoms to serve. They spent much time away from their families. They also sacrificed working in a safe and secure environment. Let’s unpack these steep costs our veterans have freely paid so that they could proudly serve this great country wherever they were needed.
Veterans gave up individual freedoms
Servicemen and servicewomen can’t wear whatever they want to wear to work. They must wear a uniform. When they are ordered to go somewhere, even into harm’s way, they have to go. They routinely give up sleep, weekends, holidays, and family events, which I will discuss more below.
Although the First Amendment to the Constitution they have sworn to support and defend does apply to them, military personnel have restrictions on what they can say (which includes posting their opinions on social media), especially during an election year. They also must be careful not to say anything that would disclose classified dates of unit movements, locations, and plans.
This willingness to give up one’s freedom reminds us of what Jesus gave up when He left heaven to come to earth as a human. He set aside some of His divine attributes (i.e., omnipresence) to reveal God to us and to die for our sins on the cross. He emulated one of our Seven Army Values, selfless service. Paul described this sacrifice and encouraged us to do the same in Phil. 2:4-8.
Veterans spent much time away from family
This aspect of military service is felt right away. The initial training required for service members involves being away from home for several weeks or even months. This is non-negotiable. A new recruit must undergo a complete mental and physical transformation from civilian to Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Guardian (Space Force), or Coast Guardsman under stressful conditions.
This initial sacrifice of time away from family prepares them for further separations later on. Whether it is training for a week in the woods on post, a 30-day training exercise at another installation, a two-month school, a one-year unaccompanied tour in South Korea, or a deployment overseas to a combat operation, those who serve cannot always take their loved ones with them.
In my first two years on active duty, I was gone a total of seven months. Then I went to Korea for a year, which meant I was gone 50% of the time my first three years. At my next duty station, I went to a school for two months and again for two more months at my next rank. I was in the field a lot in Texas and Germany, trained Reserve and National Guard units on countless weekends and several two-week training exercises for four years, and then I went to Korea for a second year.
It wasn’t just the soldier who sacrificed. My wife had to be both mom and dad for well over four years of my 20 years of service. In addition to the usual schools and field training exercises, many of our veterans deployed into combat zones for multiple years away from their families. Missing birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays takes its toll on spouses and children over a military career.
Veterans sacrificed personal safety and security
Serving in the armed forces has certain risks that come with the job. If you wanted a place to work where the worst thing that could happen to you was a paper cut while sitting at your desk in an air-conditioned office, this profession is not for you. You have to be willing to accept the fact that at any time or place, in both peacetime and wartime, you could be called to give up your life.
Many veterans (like me) choose to continue to serve in military installations in a civilian capacity. Although the work is usually not dangerous and the hours are not as long, there are overall health risks due to the constant stress. Working in any military organization is going to be challenging, with short suspense’s, last-minute changes, and not enough time or people to get the job done.
Veterans who have served for any length of time in a combat zone bring home physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual scars due to the terrible sights, sounds, and losses of close friends that they personally experienced over there. No one comes home unscathed. It often takes many years working under a team of professionals to fully recover. These veterans deserve the best care.
Closing thoughts
If you or a close family member are a veteran, none of this was new to you. These big and small sacrifices were just routine. They were what was expected of you. Veterans did them all the time without thinking much about the total cost of what they and their families voluntarily gave up. I rust that my acknowledgement of what you paid as you served gave you a deep sense of pride.
If you did not serve in the military, I trust that you will find a way on this Veterans Day to honor one or more who have served. They deserve our thanks for doing well what needed to be done. Whatever you do (assuming God wanst it done), know that God is very much present in your work.
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