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This Memorial Day weekend, we pause to remember something deeper than the beginning of summer, family cookouts, or a long weekend. Memorial Day is a reminder that freedom is costly. This weekend, we honor the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives in service to our nation. Across generations, from world wars to civil wars, we remember the brave Americans who stepped forward to defend our nation, protect the vulnerable, and preserve the freedoms we often take for granted. 

Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly calls His people to remember. Remember his works, His deliverance, and the faithful who went before us. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). While no earthly sacrifice compares to Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation, Memorial Day reminds us that sacrificial love reflects the heart of God.

We should also recognize those who served did so not for personal gain, but for the good of others. They stood in the gap so future generations would know what our founders meant when they stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

This Memorial Day, take time to remember intentionally. Attend a memorial event. Pray with your family. Pray for our nation. Share stories of those who served. Teach younger generations that freedom is never free. Most importantly, let remembrance inspire us to live faithfully and sacrificially ourselves. The greatest way to honor those who gave their lives for others is to live lives marked by gratitude, courage, service, and love.

May we never forget those who gave what President Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion.”