I can still clearly recall my initial day at basic training. This followed three days in the reception battalion where you received your uniforms, vaccinations, and learned some fundamental marching techniques. I’m referring to the day our company boarded those cattle cars and encountered the men and women who would serve as our drill […]
I can still clearly recall my initial day at basic training. This followed three days in the reception battalion where you received your uniforms, vaccinations, and learned some fundamental marching techniques.
I’m referring to the day our company boarded those cattle cars and encountered the men and women who would serve as our drill sergeants for the ensuing eight weeks (assuming we made it through).
It started off fairly well. The individuals in the round Smokey the Bear hats were not at all like the warnings I had received. They greeted us warmly with smiles.
During the drive, they asked us about our hometowns and whether we enjoyed playing softball and volleyball. They excited us with assurances that they were testing a new training method and that we would play sports to get fit and have a wonderful time.
I remember thinking, “I might actually like this ‘new’ army.”
The cattle car came to a halt at our new barracks and….
All the expectations they had just instilled in us were crushed in a heartbeat. There was chaos with shouting, running, push-ups, swearing, more push-ups, sprinting up stairs with duffel bags, and yet more yelling.
Throughout the next eight weeks, there was no softball, bowling, or basketball. It was rigorous, it was demanding, it was a test. But as we persevered through it all, we were molded into capable soldiers. We were physically conditioned and had garnered discipline.
When we enter a church or even our relationship with God, we often carry certain anticipations. Perhaps we believe God will resolve all our issues or alleviate our hardships.
Maybe we think He’ll mend our marriages or unite our families. It’s possible we expect church to be a particular way or even Christians to behave perfectly.
My expectations for basic training were shaped by what my future drill sergeants led me to anticipate, yet the actual experience was entirely different.
I seriously doubt that had the training been the fun and games I was led to expect, any of us would have acquired the discipline, training, and skills necessary to be soldiers.
If following God truly matched our original expectations, how many among us would genuinely grow? Walking with God can be demanding, sometimes tough, and frequently challenging.
Yet it is precisely during those moments that we become the disciples that God can then send out to fulfill His purpose.
2 Timothy 2:3 states “Endure hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
It’s the challenges we confront that shape us into effective soldiers. During times when God says “no” to a heartfelt wish, or presents us with an obstacle to overcome, or asks us to love someone who is difficult to love, we experience the most growth. So persevere, and you too will emerge as a good soldier.
