Living a godly life in the military can be tough for anyone. There is an overwhelming pressure to conform and fall in line. Those who resist this culture of conformity risk being ridiculed, harassed, and even threatened. This pressure is especially strong for the single Soldier, Airman, Sailor, or Marine.
While I was serving in the Air Force during the Gulf War, I was the one bringing the pressure to bear on a fellow Airman. He was outspoken about his faith in Christ and didn’t party, cuss, or laugh at any number of my extremely inappropriate jokes. Instead he would invite me to church, tell me about Jesus, and try to be my friend. Man, I hated this guy.
I would make fun of him, his wife, his church, and his God. I would be part of groups that would harass and ridicule him for his faith and his unwillingness to do anything that the rest of us were doing. He never gave in, never quit, and never, ever compromised.
Being a strong Christian in a culture of conformity is tough, real tough; but it can be done. While everyone else is out getting drunk, shacking up with their girlfriend or boyfriend, and participating in other self destructive behavior, you might feel like you are missing out. You might be sick of being on the outside and you just want to be one of the team. Compromise is not the answer.
Jesus faced similar circumstances in His life. He was betrayed by his own people and one of his best friends turned him in for a crime he didn’t even commit. Jesus was a true non-conformist in a culture of conformity. While everyone else was going along with the program, Jesus stood for what was right, not what was popular.
Being a non-conformist in the Christian sense does not mean that we are different just to be different. It means that we are different because we are following Jesus, and Jesus is different. He is more than different; He is exceptional and we are to live exceptional lives for Him.
Chances are you won’t be single forever; but right now you have some awesome potential for the Kingdom of God. You have more personal time, more expendable income, and probably more energy than you will ever have again. You could use all those resources in the same way that everyone else is, or you can put those resources in God’s hands and allow Him to use you like never before.
For three years I harassed that guy in my shop for being a Christian. One night though, something happened. The presence of God entered my barracks and Jesus touched my life. I surrendered to Him that night and started a lifelong journey of following Jesus.
It’s all really because of one Airman’s faithful uncompromising love for me that I am a Christian today. He refused to give in to the culture of conformity that I was neck deep in. Commit today to be exceptional for Christ and go against the tide of the typical military lifestyle. God will use your faithfulness to bring others into a relationship with himself.
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