Military Devotion – Honored to Wear It – October 9, 2026

I’m going to apologize in advance. If I see you in a restaurant or at the store or out in our community or at an airport and you’re wearing your uniform, I will probably stop and talk to you.  Not because it’s my job, but because I care very deeply for those who serve in our nation’s military. And your uniform says something about you. It’s going to tell me which branch you serve; your rank insignia will tell me whether you’re enlisted or officer and maybe how long you’ve been serving. The patches on your arm will tell me a little bit about your MOS or your rate, your job in in the military. Your uniform says something about you. 

The apostle Paul talks about this when he writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is the good news about Jesus. Paul is not ashamed of that good news about Jesus. He wears it like a uniform. Anybody that came into contact with the apostle Paul knew that he was a Christian because of the way he carried himself, the way he answered questions, the way he forgave people, the way he loved them, the way he was so selfless; he wasn’t so much concerned about what people thought about him but that people knew about Jesus. 

When you put on your uniform and go to work, you work alongside people in a religiously pluralistic environment. There are people that work alongside you who come from all sorts of different faiths and beliefs, even people who say they don’t believe anything about God. Sometimes this can make sharing your faith a little uncomfortable. Senior NCO and officers have shared with me that this is hard for them to do because they don’t want to project that their faith is the faith of their command or unit.They have to be very careful about that. There are war fighters who have shared that they are a little bit shy about sharing the gospel because they want to fit in with those around them.  

Paul says, “I am unashamed. I am honored to wear the gospel as a uniform.” Why? He goes on to say, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Paul wanted everyone to know that he wore the uniform of the gospel so that other people might know Jesus.  

When you wear the gospel as your uniform people will know that you are a Christian. They will know it because of the way you talk to people, the way that you are service-minded and not self-centered, the way that you forgive and are patient and loving. Wearing that uniform builds bridges with people. As you build those bridges, God is going to open doors so that you can build a bridge to Jesus. Jesus is what they need. 

Paul goes on to say in the very next verse that this righteousness that they need to know is not a righteousness of their own. They are righteous before God, not because of things that they have done, but because of what Jesus has done for them. Behonored to wear that righteousness which God has given you, for righteous is what he has declared you to be in Christ Jesus.   

Be honored to wear the uniform of the gospel, that good news of Jesus, so that others may wear this uniform, too.   

Jesus, you have called us to serve others and to live as your people wherever you place us. Give our military members courage to be unashamed of your gospel. Help them reflect your love in the way they speak, serve, forgive, and care for those around them. When they work alongside people of different beliefs or no faith at all, give them wisdom and humility. Let their lives point others to you without fear or embarrassment. May their uniforms identify whom they serve in this world, while their words and actions show whom they serve eternally. Amen.