Episode #293 — So many of us have come to a moment where we’ve said, ‘I just wish I was braver.’
Chad Robichaux is one of the bravest people you could ever hope to meet. But his is a story of discovering that even his bravery – by itself – wasn’t enough. And of meeting the One whose strength is so much more than any of us could ever need.
Chad served multiple deployments to Afghanistan as a member of the US Marine’s elite Force Recon. He saw firsthand the suffering the Taliban inflicted on the country’s people, but he was profoundly touched by the deep gratitude they had for the United States and service members like him.
“When I went to Afghanistan it was because of September 11th – our of a strong sense of patriotism to fight back and to rectify that wrong that was perpetrated on our country. But really quickly because of the nature of my job – living with the Afghan people, eating dinner with their families, playing soccer with their kids – I got immersed in their culture. I learned who the Taliban was. Not only did I develop a deep hatred for the Taliban, but I developed a deep love for the Afghan people. These are patriots. They want to fight for their country. They want to be free from the ideological oppression the Taliban put on them. The oppression of women, the sexual molestation of little boys and little girls – all these things they endured.”
“I developed a real heart for helping these people fight for their livelihood. 99 percent of military people are on a base, and they go out to fight the bad guys and come back to the base. I got the unique perspective to see their life through their eyes. To see how appreciative they were for the United States military going there and defending them when they couldn’t defend themselves. Helping to liberate them.”
Before Chad came to the place where he found a relationship with Jesus and the ultimate answer to life’s biggest questions, he first came to the end of all the answers he thought he had. What he saw in Afghanistan led him to say that he could never be a Christian.
“Seeing just the horrific things that we were never created or intended to see – I write about the girl on Chicken Street. An innocent little girl who we were interacting with by a newspaper stand. We would see her all the time – this beautiful little girl and her sister. They’re just out there doing life. They don’t care about this conflict. And as we walked away from them, a suicide bomber blew himself up trying to kill some policemen and consequently killed her and some other children.
“Seeing those things happen, you ask the same question many people have asked before me. If there’s a loving God, why would He allow such evil things to take place to good or innocent people? And that’s a question I had to battle for some time until I really started seeking answers and not just coming to my own conclusions – really seeking answers to understand.”
Discover how Chad’s incredible journey brought him to lasting purpose and new hope in Jesus in the full podcast below.
Chad Robichaux served his country as a Force Recon US Marine. He was one of the world’s top MMA fighters. Now he’s a speaker, an advocate & the founder and president of the Mighty Oaks Warrior Program. He’s just released the update version of his gripping book An Unfair Advantage: Victory in the Midst of Battle.
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