Soldiers in God’s Army

Soldiers standing at attention

The following excerpt was taken from Developing Godly Character by Vinne Carafano:

“It’s easy to continue in the revealed will of God as long as things are going smoothly. If we have immediate proof that we’re on the right track and have instant success, we’ll keep on. We’ll also become spiritually soft and weak. Tough times make strong believers. In the Body of Christ, we have too many Cub Scouts and not enough marines. A missionary friend of mine once said, ‘Christians need to learn how to take a punch.’ Marines don’t go through boot camp at Disneyland. They go to Parris Island, where conditions are intentionally tough to make them tough. God calls us by many names in the Scriptures. We are His children, disciples, servants, and friends. Let’s not forget that He also calls us soldiers. What hardships have you endured for the sake of the gospel?”

I find this quote very interesting because it can be applied to your life right now. What have you done recently that has been hard or stretched you outside your comfort zone? Often we think doing something tough means going without food or being physically persecuted for the sake of the gospel. But there are everyday things and circumstances that we can willingly take on or endure right now, even from our homes and current situations. Some of the hardest things you will ever do are things that go against your will. Have you ever had to apologize to someone, and you didn’t WANT to do it? Or have you had to do a chore right away and you really wanted to watch a movie instead? Those things can be pretty hard. Do you do them anyway? The Lord said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). We don’t always realize this, but simply by doing the right thing that goes against your will is denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following the Lord. This is a good thing! This is very pleasing to God because it says “I really don’t want to do this, but I’m doing it because I trust that you have my best in mind and because I love you more than I love myself and my will”.

I challenge you to find something that you know is right and honoring to God (obeying your parents even when you think they don’t know best is a good example) and ask the Lord to help you do that thing. It’s ok to admit to God you don’t want to do something, but be sure to ask Him for help.

Following God has many parallels to being in the military. We don’t always know why we are being told by our commanding officer (God or a God-given authority) to do something, and we might often think our ideas are better, but in the end we must obey. And the faster we learn that God’s will is far superior to our own, the easier it will be to lay our will down and pick up God’s instead. If you want a really hard challenge, ask the Lord to give you opportunities to deny your will and do His instead.

~Megan