Unknown Soldiers

If you give up your life for my sake … you will find true life. (Mark 8:35 )

During one of my many trips to Washington, DC, I had the chance to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. The inscription beneath it reads: “Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God.” Beneath the shrine lies the remains of an unidentified soldier from World War I, but the marker stands as a tribute to the thousands of unknown soldiers who have lost their lives serving this country.

Seeing the memorial makes you wonder about the person buried beneath. You try to imagine who he was, what he was like, how he died, and what sort of sacrifices he made for his country before paying the ultimate price. You reflect on all the soldiers who have died in battle without recognition. You wonder what it must be like to give everything for a cause and then die in anonymity. It’s one thing to die and be remembered as a hero, but it’s another thing to live and die as a hero and have no one know your name.

As Christians, we are called to make that same level of commitment. The Christian faith may hold that same fate. Many followers of Christ live their lives in quiet service to God, daily sacrificing on behalf of Jesus, and they will pass away without ever being recognized for the things they did. They are the unknown soldiers for Christ.

Ever spend a sleepless night praying for someone who needs Jesus? Ever spent a day in prayer and fasting for someone going through a trying time in their lives? Ever give sacrificially to a cause even though you could have used the extra money yourself? Then you know what it’s like to be an unknown soldier. You know that true service often comes without thanks or acknowledgment.

Every day people give quietly and thanklessly to the cause of Christ, and many will die without fanfare. No one may know about the things they did in service to their King. But that doesn’t mean they will go unrewarded. God knows their sacrifice. He knows the names of every soldier in his service, and he has no intention of letting them go unnoticed. His may be the only praise they ever receive, but that’s okay. Because it’s the only praise that truly matters.