What the army taught me about following Christ

BY: Eric Lebs (TCC Member)

“Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another”

- Proverbs 27:17

Battle buddy.

Right at the beginning of Army training, everyone has a “battle buddy”. This is a fellow soldier who you do everything together with – training, running, eating, even walking to Burger King. 

Why? There are several reasons. Army training is tough & strenuous. If you try doing it alone, it’s easy to get discouraged & want to give up. But not if someone is right there with you going through the same thing. 

• A battle buddy is good for a spot check. Is my uniform correct? Is my gear properly set up for the mission? Is safety equipment in place? We can trust each other to make sure we’re each prepared for what’s ahead.

• Accountability. When there’s the temptation to make the wrong choice, a battle buddy can pull you back. He can help keep you from getting into trouble – or prevent group punishment. 

• Sharing the load. We’ll struggle with different things at different times. Recognizing when your buddy is struggling keeps you from being self-focused. Shouldering some of that burden for your buddy for a time builds selflessness. Conversely, being open about your own struggle & asking for help fosters trust in others.

• Teamwork. My battle buddy will have different strengths than my own. We use those varied strengths to accomplish the overall mission.

You may say – so what? I’m not in the military. I don’t have to go out on missions & face the enemy.  

Or do you? 

When you become a Christian, you are adopted into God’s family. You take on His mission, one being the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

You have been given a mission from God.

What are you doing about it? Are you in training? You may be good at studying the Bible to understand the gospel. That is an important aspect.

Let me challenge you to begin putting that mission into practice. That could be as simple as being a battle buddy to a fellow Christian. Be there to challenge each other. Share the load. Have teamwork & accountability. Even Jesus used battle buddies with His disciples (Luke 10:1)

Take it a step further & share the gospel with others. You know what God has done in your life, how He has given you forgiveness of sins, salvation, hope, & eternal life. Share your experience with those around you.

Or go all out. “Go therefore….” Leave the comfort of your American home & go to where people don’t have Jesus. Pray for God’s direction, to be one of the workers going out into the harvest (Matthew 9:38). There are many people groups in the world who are unreached and/or unengaged (https://joshuaproject.net/). They don’t have an opportunity to even hear about Jesus. 

My challenge to you, especially to the men of Treasuring Christ Church, is to purposefully sharpen one another. Be a battle buddy to someone else. Not just for them to grow & mature as a person but to grow in godliness as part of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4). 

I know this is a bit counter cultural as an American. We love our individuality & self-determination but remember, as a Christian, you are no longer your own. You are part of a Godly community, the Body of Christ. Present yourself as a living sacrifice to God for His work, His kingdom, His glory (Romans 12:1-2, Luke 12:31, John 17:4)