Stepping into a life of freedom

Sammy Millar features in a new Salvation Army campaign encouraging more people to explore the option of becoming Salvation Army officers (ministers).

I came to The Salvation Army through a friend of my mum. From a young age I felt a strong sense of belonging. My home environment had been dysfunctional at times and the Army provided a place of safety and refuge.

When I was 15 I had a dream—I was standing at the front of the corps wearing a Salvation Army uniform. For me, this was a message from God encouraging me to pursue a life of officership.

Life as an officer is filled with variety and excitement. It’s a great privilege to be able to walk alongside people as they navigate life and grow as disciples of Jesus. I get to introduce people to Jesus, work within our local community, and help people step into a life of freedom and fullness. Because we are invited into people’s lives, into their most vulnerable circumstances and situations a lot of the time, compassion and empathy are really important qualities.

The autonomy within officership means I get to focus on my passions and strengths. One of the things I love to do is rally the troops to fight against injustice locally, nationally and globally. Officership gives me the freedom to do this. I appreciate the different opportunities within officership. As someone who likes to initiate and start new things, I like that we can be appointed in different environments and different situations.

Life as an officer has been filled with challenges, but even when it’s really hard and a struggle, I come back to the fact that God wants me here. Amongst the challenges he always brings affirmation, encouragement and the strength I need to keep going.

I said yes to officership because of God’s love and the way he has changed my life. Because of the change and the love I’ve experienced, I want to see other people experience that as well.

If you’re called by God to be an officer, you won’t find peace apart from it.

It wasn’t until I stepped into officership that I really did start to feel fulfilled and satisfied with what I was doing with my life. If you’re feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled in what you’re currently doing, if you feel like God is calling you into a life of officership, you should just do it. Step into the excitement and adventure and say yes!

Watch online | See Sammy, Karl, Peter, Kylie, Stu, and Joe share their stories | Go to www.salvationarmy.org.nz/SayYes

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By Sammy Millar (c) 'War Cry' magazine, 1 October 2016, pp 11
You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources.