Over the last three weeks, I’ve been back serving in the Army as part of my yearly duties as a reservist. This marks my ninth cycle since I finished full-time national service back in 2009. Just one more and I finish my national service and join the reserves.
As much as I enjoy serving in the Army, it hasn’t always been easy. Honestly, there were many times when the call-ups came at the worst possible times for my work and family. So, you can imagine how intrigued I was when I discovered that ordained ministers could be granted an exemption from these call-ups. I remember telling the guys from my unit that the moment I’m ordained, I won’t be back anymore. It was something I was so certain of.
But it’s often when one is so certain about something that the Holy Spirit challenges and convicts. I remember the simple question that God asked – is this the right thing for you to do?
Somehow, this question cut really deep. It really wasn’t about National Service. It was about trying to find a way out instead of a way through. This is something I’ve preached about again and again; that God often challenges us to take the way through rather than the way out. Yet, here I was, eager to take the way out. So, I decided that I will complete my National Service. Not just for Singapore, but as an act of worship to God.
Serving and caring for our nation is part of our responsibility as Christians. In Jeremiah 29, God instructed the Israelites to seek the welfare of the city they were in. This didn’t just refer to praying. They were given practical things to do as well. And this city wasn’t even their own city. It was Babylon, where they were being held captive. Think about it – if God would want us to seek the welfare of an enemy city, what more our own?
I believe that as disciples of Christ, we must develop a love for our nation. Of course, this love must never overshadow our love for God. Our King must always be our utmost priority, but let us not neglect the nation that the sovereign King has put us in.
- Senior Pastor Daniel Khong