During
basic training, Desmond Doss irritated his drill instructor and fellow
soldiers. A pacifist by conviction, he refused to carry a weapon into battle,
and this made his peers doubt his courage. Trained as a medic, the young
Christian had no qualms about facing combat. But his goal was to save
lives.
Doubts
about Doss would change, however, when his military unit faced combat. During
the World War II Battle of Okinawa, he ducked under machine gun fire to pull
the wounded to safety. He prayed, “Lord, give me the strength to save just one
more wounded soldier.” Eventually he lowered more than 70 injured men down a
hill for further medical attention. For his efforts, Desmond Doss was awarded
the Medal of Honor—the highest honor his country could bestow.
Scripture
tells of another Christian who took great personal risks to help others. Of
Epaphroditus, Paul wrote, “Hold such men in esteem; because for the work of
Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life” (Phil. 2:29-30).
Around the world today, many believers risk their lives for the cause of Christ. Let’s pray that our God will protect them as they serve Him under threatening circumstances.
