The army has changed a lot in the last fifty years, but in 1974 when my husband went through Officer Candidate School (OCS), it was “old army” all the way. OCS candidates were asked to do the “impossible.”
For example, they had to maintain a perfect living area in the barracks. A candidate could be punished if one of the pencils in his desk was too short or if a button wasn’t buttoned on a uniform hanging in the closet! Inspections came without warning, often in the middle of the night.
Believing that large doses of stress revealed a man’s emotional stamina, the instructors diligently harassed the candidates.
Constant mealtime interruptions prevented the men from finishing their meals, so they lived in a perpetual state of hunger. It wasn’t unusual for one of the wives to get a late-night “secret” order for eighty Big Macs to be left in a specified trash can outside the barracks!
This harassment weeded out those who couldn’t handle the stress of a wartime command.
God doesn’t do things the same way as OCS, but He uses difficulties in our lives to test and build our faith. His goal isn’t to weed out the weak but to strengthen us so we have the perseverance and courage to face new challenges. See 1 Peter 1:3-9.
Being a Christian isn’t easy, but it’s 100% worth the cost.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ Jesus, John 16:33
🏳🏳🏳
If you'd like to read a one-minute devotion based on my husband's wise counsel to me, please see When the Bad Guys Win the Battle.
No comments:
Post a Comment