This past semester I had the opportunity to lead the Perspectives course on the world Christian movement. It’s a 15 week class that is packed full of incredible material which simply breeds missionaries and senders for the sake of the gospel. After a bit of reflection from the class and from conversations I’ve had over the past month, I’ve come to a rather severe conviction about the status of our thoughts about the mission of the church. I’ve noticed that my thoughts and those of others have turned into a rather distorted image regarding God’s global mandate to take the gospel to all nations.
The problem is simple but subtle in the way that it manifests itself. The problem lies in a distinction that has been made over time between the mission field and world evangelization. Much of those in my generation are too focused on the mission field and not focused at all on evangelism. The two shouldn’t be separate. We are either raising support to go overseas or raising support to send others, and while doing this our vision is blurred and we neglect to share the gospel with those around us. We are in a constant mode of planning, but in reality we are running from the truth of the gospel.
I may be wrong but I think this is a fairly recent development that serves as just another self-limiting factor from presenting the gospel to others. I know we may not consciously do this but we might be saying to ourselves, ‘I’m preparing to go on the mission field; therefore I can add that prep-time to the evangelism quota for the day…’ Folks, it doesn’t work like that. Evangelism is the mission field. The two should not be separate. Our soul’s longing shouldn’t be an image of a distant land where possible hardship and frustration awaits. We should long for others to come to know the surpassing glory of God through Christ who was sacrificed on the cross for their sin and ours. Let us not gain excitement from adventure and a romanticized lifestyle. Let us gain our fuel and power from seeing others weep because of the redemption that they’ve been given through Christ.
To prove my point a little further I’ll give you some personal thoughts from three of my favorite missionaries of years past…
While preparing to serve in China Hudson Taylor writes to his mother:
“Oh, Mother, I cannot tell you, I cannot describe how I long to be a missionary; to carry the Glad Tidings to poor, perishing sinners; to spend and be spent for Him who died for me!...Think, Mother, of twelve millions-a number so great that it is impossible to realize it – yes, twelve million souls in China, every year, passing without God and without hope into eternity…Oh, let us look with compassion on this multitude! God has been merciful to us; let us be like Him…”
Or consider Jim Elliot, writing to his parents on the way to Ecuador:
“…those loves which we regard as closest, He told us must become as hate in comparison with our desires to uphold His cause. Grieve not, then, if your sons seem to desert you, but rejoice, rather, seeing the will of God done gladly. Remember how the Psalmist described children? He said that they were as an heritage from the Lord, and that every man should be happy who had his quiver full of them. And what is a quiver full of but arrows? And what are arrows for but to shoot? So, with the strong arms of prayer, draw the bowstring back and let the arrows fly – all of them, straight at the Enemy’s hosts.
‘Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious,
Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way,
Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious,
And all thou spendest Jesus will repay.’”
Lastly, consider the depth of C.T. Studd’s words as he traveled throughout China, India, and Central Africa:
“And do you think that I can consent to turn a deaf ear to the cries of these people clamouring for the Gospel and craving for teachers? If I cant’ send them teachers because there are no teachers to send, yet at least I can stop one yawning gap myself. If I am not so efficient as youngsters, yet at least I may be more efficient than an absentee, a nobody. And if others have failed to hear and respond to these awful pleadings of sinful men going to hell, yet desiring to know the way to heaven, at least my presence can assure them that there are still some who to save them will count life and all they hold dear as of no account in comparison.”
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Combat Sin By Preaching The Gospel
The past few months have been absolutely incredible because of the opportunities that God has given me to present his truth to others. These past couple weeks in particular have been unique because of how God has allowed me to see the truth of the gospel more clearly in the midst of my own sin, and through conversations I’ve had with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. A common theme that I’ve seen among many of my brothers in Christ is the thought of not leading ‘the’ Christian life, and therefore not feeling worthy to share the gospel with others. They are fearful that the person being ministered to will perceive hypocrisy and thus be turned away from the gospel. They put up a screen of superficiality that prohibits others from seeing their true self. This type of falsehood doesn’t only prevent evangelistic encounters, but it also prevents the prospect of truly intimate relationships with fellow believers. Why is it that we too often try to present ourselves as perfect Christians who have it all together? That’s a lie and therefore a sin towards God.
I am by no means taking my self away from this specific sin, but I rejoice in the hope of confronting this sin through the truth of the gospel. I had some guys over for dinner at my house this past week, and it was abundantly clear that many of us desire to share with others the joy that can be found in Christ, but we are hindered because of our perceived-sinful status. We tell ourselves that we must get to point ‘x’ on the holiness scale before someone will listen to how Christ has changed our lives. I think that one of the best ways to get over the fear of being known is to frequently reveal your true self to others. Tell others of your sin and let them know that you still struggle with sin but you are no longer marked by that identity.
My evangelism professor often told us, ‘If you’re ever feeling down, go out and tell someone about Jesus.’ This is so true. Think about a witness encounter that you’ve recently had… How did you feel during and after the encounter? Don’t think about the argument that you had or how sufficient or insufficient your own words were. But think about the fulfillment that you had. Did you feel God’s pleasure in what you were doing? Every time I present the gospel to someone I feel simultaneously my own insufficiency to change someone else’s heart and the true fulfillment that comes from Christ. I feel the pleasure of God. As the Scotsman Eric Liddle felt God’s pleasure when he was running, we too should feel God’s pleasure when we present his truth to those who don’t know him.
Think about the apostle Paul, the best missionary who ever lived. Nothing allowed him to feel the pleasure of God more than the opportunity to present Christ to others. Here’s my favorite passage in the book of Acts that so eloquently describes how Paul sought the pleasure of God.
“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” ~ Acts 20:22-24
Paul eagerly sought the pleasure of God, and his previous sin is greater than much of our own. Paul, the great persecutor-turned-missionary could have had reason to keep Christ to himself, but he chose to speak even amidst his sinful past. In fact, the book of Galatians tells us that his sinful past contributed more powerfully to his testimony of the gospel. So let us not prevent others from enjoying the pleasures of Christ out of our own self-imposed false humility, but let us present Christ as the redeemer that He is. One of the best ways to combat sin is to meditate on Christ’s redemption. Part of meditating on Christ is presenting him to others, so let us all preach the gospel in order to overcome our own sinfulness. When we do this, the spark of Christ that exists in our hearts will feed on the infinite glory of God and become a flame that will never be quenched.
I am by no means taking my self away from this specific sin, but I rejoice in the hope of confronting this sin through the truth of the gospel. I had some guys over for dinner at my house this past week, and it was abundantly clear that many of us desire to share with others the joy that can be found in Christ, but we are hindered because of our perceived-sinful status. We tell ourselves that we must get to point ‘x’ on the holiness scale before someone will listen to how Christ has changed our lives. I think that one of the best ways to get over the fear of being known is to frequently reveal your true self to others. Tell others of your sin and let them know that you still struggle with sin but you are no longer marked by that identity.
My evangelism professor often told us, ‘If you’re ever feeling down, go out and tell someone about Jesus.’ This is so true. Think about a witness encounter that you’ve recently had… How did you feel during and after the encounter? Don’t think about the argument that you had or how sufficient or insufficient your own words were. But think about the fulfillment that you had. Did you feel God’s pleasure in what you were doing? Every time I present the gospel to someone I feel simultaneously my own insufficiency to change someone else’s heart and the true fulfillment that comes from Christ. I feel the pleasure of God. As the Scotsman Eric Liddle felt God’s pleasure when he was running, we too should feel God’s pleasure when we present his truth to those who don’t know him.
Think about the apostle Paul, the best missionary who ever lived. Nothing allowed him to feel the pleasure of God more than the opportunity to present Christ to others. Here’s my favorite passage in the book of Acts that so eloquently describes how Paul sought the pleasure of God.
“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” ~ Acts 20:22-24
Paul eagerly sought the pleasure of God, and his previous sin is greater than much of our own. Paul, the great persecutor-turned-missionary could have had reason to keep Christ to himself, but he chose to speak even amidst his sinful past. In fact, the book of Galatians tells us that his sinful past contributed more powerfully to his testimony of the gospel. So let us not prevent others from enjoying the pleasures of Christ out of our own self-imposed false humility, but let us present Christ as the redeemer that He is. One of the best ways to combat sin is to meditate on Christ’s redemption. Part of meditating on Christ is presenting him to others, so let us all preach the gospel in order to overcome our own sinfulness. When we do this, the spark of Christ that exists in our hearts will feed on the infinite glory of God and become a flame that will never be quenched.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Self-Condemnation Comes Before the Fall…
Amidst the various struggles that Christians deal with, pride is one of the most severe results of the fall. It can manifest itself in so many ways and it has the power to completely consume anyone at any time. It is one of satan’s most effective tools against us because it is so difficult to combat. Part of sanctification is realizing the areas of your life that have been corrupted specifically by pride. By God’s grace we are able to have victory in many of these areas but it still proves to be a constant battle.
Just as some sins are less obvious than others, many forms of pride are rather subtle. Self condemnation is one of these forms. We condemn ourselves all the time, often to the point of extreme anxiety and depression. Sometimes not fulfilling the expectations of others or fear of not measuring up leads to this kind of pride. Some of you might be questioning my reasons for placing this type of condemnation in the same boat with pride, but let me explain further. The extreme form of this leads to the point of questioning your own salvation. That is a bit too extreme for this discussion. I’m speaking more along the lines of daily struggles that might be work or school related. We might say to ourselves, ‘I didn’t type that report correctly…I bet my boss thinks I’m an idiot…How did I ever get this job?’ Or again, ‘Why would this girl ever like me? I have nothing to offer her…’
Let’s take this thought a little deeper. What about your thoughts about your life before you came to know Christ? Some of you don’t remember those days but I know some of you relive some of that horror more frequently than you would like. I think that is the root of most of our self-condemning tendencies. Satan uses those memories against us and says, ‘you’ll never be good enough! Don’t you remember what you did!? You’re nobody, and you’ll never amount to anything!’ It’s extremely difficult to come out of these times. Too often people simply go through the motions of life thinking they’ll never be good enough and that’s when Satan’s stronghold of pride takes root.
This is a type of pride because it discounts the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we lapse into the filth that Satan feeds us we are throwing the power of the gospel out the window. Let this not be so! Yes, we are sinners and we aren’t good enough to save ourselves, but let us not grow idle in prideful self-pity. We must embrace the power that comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and live with freedom. When you sin, repent and cling to the gospel that has saved you. Don’t wallow in your guilt. You’ve been redeemed!
How prideful are we when we don’t practice and preach the gospel to ourselves? My pastor and C.J. Mahaney have helped me tremendously with this. There is absolutely nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and there is absolutely nothing you can do to make God love you any less. One thing that might help is to wake up every morning and say that in your prayer. ‘Today Lord, there is nothing I can do to make you pleased with me more than you already are. Christ died for my sins and I embrace that truth with complete humility today.’ Pray that prayer frequently and see what transformation will happen. Of course we don’t deserve the sacrifice that God made on the cross, but what gift does anyone deserve? That’s the point of grace. I hope that we may all ask God to forgive us for this type of pride and live in assurance that he is pleased with us through Christ.
Just as some sins are less obvious than others, many forms of pride are rather subtle. Self condemnation is one of these forms. We condemn ourselves all the time, often to the point of extreme anxiety and depression. Sometimes not fulfilling the expectations of others or fear of not measuring up leads to this kind of pride. Some of you might be questioning my reasons for placing this type of condemnation in the same boat with pride, but let me explain further. The extreme form of this leads to the point of questioning your own salvation. That is a bit too extreme for this discussion. I’m speaking more along the lines of daily struggles that might be work or school related. We might say to ourselves, ‘I didn’t type that report correctly…I bet my boss thinks I’m an idiot…How did I ever get this job?’ Or again, ‘Why would this girl ever like me? I have nothing to offer her…’
Let’s take this thought a little deeper. What about your thoughts about your life before you came to know Christ? Some of you don’t remember those days but I know some of you relive some of that horror more frequently than you would like. I think that is the root of most of our self-condemning tendencies. Satan uses those memories against us and says, ‘you’ll never be good enough! Don’t you remember what you did!? You’re nobody, and you’ll never amount to anything!’ It’s extremely difficult to come out of these times. Too often people simply go through the motions of life thinking they’ll never be good enough and that’s when Satan’s stronghold of pride takes root.
This is a type of pride because it discounts the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we lapse into the filth that Satan feeds us we are throwing the power of the gospel out the window. Let this not be so! Yes, we are sinners and we aren’t good enough to save ourselves, but let us not grow idle in prideful self-pity. We must embrace the power that comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and live with freedom. When you sin, repent and cling to the gospel that has saved you. Don’t wallow in your guilt. You’ve been redeemed!
How prideful are we when we don’t practice and preach the gospel to ourselves? My pastor and C.J. Mahaney have helped me tremendously with this. There is absolutely nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and there is absolutely nothing you can do to make God love you any less. One thing that might help is to wake up every morning and say that in your prayer. ‘Today Lord, there is nothing I can do to make you pleased with me more than you already are. Christ died for my sins and I embrace that truth with complete humility today.’ Pray that prayer frequently and see what transformation will happen. Of course we don’t deserve the sacrifice that God made on the cross, but what gift does anyone deserve? That’s the point of grace. I hope that we may all ask God to forgive us for this type of pride and live in assurance that he is pleased with us through Christ.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Respond to Him with Reckless Abandon
The other day my pastor spoke from Luke 17:11-19 when Jesus cleansed the ten lepers. He did an exceptional job and I am truly grateful for his insight into this passage and how we should worship after having such an encounter with God. This also provides a great jumping-off point to go further into the reasons for men staying at home rather than going overseas. (See previous post to catch up.) Verses 15 and 16 say, ‘then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.’
So if this man (a Samaritan by the way…) turned around praising Jesus, what happened to the other nine? Why only one out of ten? Additionally, why are so few men spending their lives overseas when it is so obvious that there is much work to do? Brothers and sisters, if we begin to emulate the response of this Samaritan man, the commission that Christ gave us to go and make disciples of all nations will be fulfilled within our lifetime. Luke tells us that this foreigner realized that he was healed and then turned to meet Jesus. He came with excitement and passion for he could actually feel the warmth of the air on his fingertips again after such a long period of not being able to possibly feel anything. Once again he would have the opportunity to embrace the coolness of fresh water between his toes. Not only that, but no more would he have to suffer the humiliation of being outcast from his own people. He was free from the slavery of physical pain and much social strife. Because of his encounter with Jesus he was made whole again!
We too have been made whole but it seems as though our response is too often the opposite. I was reminded the other day to recount my life before my encounter with Jesus. Meditating on that filth disgusts me to the point of illness… But God, being rich in mercy, came to me and now my meditation is filled with the glorious splendor of His glory. To respond to Jesus in any way other than reckless, mind-altering, earth-shaking praise would be utter foolishness. I believe if we men begin to respond as the Samaritan responded, airports will soon be filled with eager hands grasping to speak to the nations of the treasure that is Christ. Not only will overseas work increase but churches, office buildings, and families will be completely revitalized by the gospel.
So how do we respond? Simply have an encounter with Jesus. If you’re not a follower, acknowledge your sin, confess it to him, and embrace the forgiveness that has been freely given. To accept Christ is the most important encounter. For those of us who have already done that it is important now to constantly submit to him. Those of us who are neglecting overseas work on account of negligence need to submit to the authority of Christ and go! I’m excited about talking more in depth about the riches that can result from overseas work. Hopefully I’ll get to that sooner than later.
So if this man (a Samaritan by the way…) turned around praising Jesus, what happened to the other nine? Why only one out of ten? Additionally, why are so few men spending their lives overseas when it is so obvious that there is much work to do? Brothers and sisters, if we begin to emulate the response of this Samaritan man, the commission that Christ gave us to go and make disciples of all nations will be fulfilled within our lifetime. Luke tells us that this foreigner realized that he was healed and then turned to meet Jesus. He came with excitement and passion for he could actually feel the warmth of the air on his fingertips again after such a long period of not being able to possibly feel anything. Once again he would have the opportunity to embrace the coolness of fresh water between his toes. Not only that, but no more would he have to suffer the humiliation of being outcast from his own people. He was free from the slavery of physical pain and much social strife. Because of his encounter with Jesus he was made whole again!
We too have been made whole but it seems as though our response is too often the opposite. I was reminded the other day to recount my life before my encounter with Jesus. Meditating on that filth disgusts me to the point of illness… But God, being rich in mercy, came to me and now my meditation is filled with the glorious splendor of His glory. To respond to Jesus in any way other than reckless, mind-altering, earth-shaking praise would be utter foolishness. I believe if we men begin to respond as the Samaritan responded, airports will soon be filled with eager hands grasping to speak to the nations of the treasure that is Christ. Not only will overseas work increase but churches, office buildings, and families will be completely revitalized by the gospel.
So how do we respond? Simply have an encounter with Jesus. If you’re not a follower, acknowledge your sin, confess it to him, and embrace the forgiveness that has been freely given. To accept Christ is the most important encounter. For those of us who have already done that it is important now to constantly submit to him. Those of us who are neglecting overseas work on account of negligence need to submit to the authority of Christ and go! I’m excited about talking more in depth about the riches that can result from overseas work. Hopefully I’ll get to that sooner than later.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Men, Get on your horse and go!
Ok folks, it’s been a while but I’m going to try to start writing a bit. There have just been so many thoughts on my mind in the past three or four months and I feel like I need to get them down somehow. Maybe these words will provide the occasional encouragement to the infrequent on-looker… If any of you know me you probably know that I am planning on going overseas in the future and recently I’ve heard a bit of information that concerns me. My denomination’s sending agency has a particular program for singles to go overseas for an average of two years. I won’t say the name of this program but recently I was told that for every seven females who commit to this program there is only one male who commits to serve…
That’s pretty disgusting…
First of all, props to all you ladies out there who are risking your lives and forsaking the overabundance of luxury here in the states to serve Him overseas. And also to you guys who made the decision to go, I pray that you might encourage others to come alongside you. I could spend the majority of my time hounding other guys about their lack of courage or apathy in pursuing God with reckless abandon, but I just don’t think that would be efficient. I also don’t think I am in any position to criticize others when I’m presently sitting in the comfort of my own home with a full stomach from today’s gluttonous thanksgiving festivities. But while I’m here I want to explore a couple of reasons that men might be staying in order to open their eyes to the fruit that can come from making the commitment to go. Most of these reasons for staying or obstacles ultimately prove to be an incredible hindrance to one’s quest on the road to sanctification. For the sake of this particular blog-posting I’m not going to treat each of these obstacles exhaustively for I hope to explore them in further detail later.
I think one of the primary reasons that men stay is in part due to their natural tendency to desire worldly success. When the opportunity to go overseas comes up they choose not to go because they feel as though they won’t have a successful life upon returning to the states if they ever do. So many men have this engrained in their heads, and it’s a vision that screams to make their voice heard. In the business world men cling to the hope of climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder faster than the one beside him. I’ll put this obstacle in the category of those who actually have skewed vision. From an outsider’s point of view it may appear that a particular business man has a great vision for the future but I submit that these men really don’t have an end product in mind. More later…
Secondly, I think many men are just apathetic when it comes to planning for the future. Many would rather sit and go through the motions of life until a blatantly obvious opportunity comes their way. Passivity in men is rampant and the only time that a proactive lifestyle is seen is when it is the result of an unforeseen circumstance that necessitates action. The hindrance is that men wait for opportunities to act upon them instead of acting with the discernment and vision that God has given us. More also on this…
Third and lastly…for the moment…many men, especially those in their early to mid-twenties refuse to go overseas because they think they should be married before going. Marriage is a good thing and the bible makes it obvious that God likes it. The problem however is that men have this often-subconscious desire to get married before they begin doing their ‘real’ career. They’re afraid that if they serve overseas for any length of time, upon returning there simply won’t be any more prospects for marriage left, and therefore their time overseas could have been used for time in pursuing ‘the right one.’ Don’t get me wrong here. I would actually recommend sending families to the field over sending singles. The majority of the remaining unreached people groups are very distinct from our western individualistic ideals, and therefore a family on the field would be ideal. But single male would have many opportunities where a husband or father would have some limitations. I think the main obstacle concerning the singleness issue is a lack of trust in God that manifests in fear and disobedience. Along with that disobedience comes great temptation and desire, and keep in mind, desire that is fully grown gives birth to death…
So, I hope to expound on these three issues and more in the coming weeks. Hopefully we all will be able to humble ourselves a bit and really dig deep as to where we’re being called to serve.
That’s pretty disgusting…
First of all, props to all you ladies out there who are risking your lives and forsaking the overabundance of luxury here in the states to serve Him overseas. And also to you guys who made the decision to go, I pray that you might encourage others to come alongside you. I could spend the majority of my time hounding other guys about their lack of courage or apathy in pursuing God with reckless abandon, but I just don’t think that would be efficient. I also don’t think I am in any position to criticize others when I’m presently sitting in the comfort of my own home with a full stomach from today’s gluttonous thanksgiving festivities. But while I’m here I want to explore a couple of reasons that men might be staying in order to open their eyes to the fruit that can come from making the commitment to go. Most of these reasons for staying or obstacles ultimately prove to be an incredible hindrance to one’s quest on the road to sanctification. For the sake of this particular blog-posting I’m not going to treat each of these obstacles exhaustively for I hope to explore them in further detail later.
I think one of the primary reasons that men stay is in part due to their natural tendency to desire worldly success. When the opportunity to go overseas comes up they choose not to go because they feel as though they won’t have a successful life upon returning to the states if they ever do. So many men have this engrained in their heads, and it’s a vision that screams to make their voice heard. In the business world men cling to the hope of climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder faster than the one beside him. I’ll put this obstacle in the category of those who actually have skewed vision. From an outsider’s point of view it may appear that a particular business man has a great vision for the future but I submit that these men really don’t have an end product in mind. More later…
Secondly, I think many men are just apathetic when it comes to planning for the future. Many would rather sit and go through the motions of life until a blatantly obvious opportunity comes their way. Passivity in men is rampant and the only time that a proactive lifestyle is seen is when it is the result of an unforeseen circumstance that necessitates action. The hindrance is that men wait for opportunities to act upon them instead of acting with the discernment and vision that God has given us. More also on this…
Third and lastly…for the moment…many men, especially those in their early to mid-twenties refuse to go overseas because they think they should be married before going. Marriage is a good thing and the bible makes it obvious that God likes it. The problem however is that men have this often-subconscious desire to get married before they begin doing their ‘real’ career. They’re afraid that if they serve overseas for any length of time, upon returning there simply won’t be any more prospects for marriage left, and therefore their time overseas could have been used for time in pursuing ‘the right one.’ Don’t get me wrong here. I would actually recommend sending families to the field over sending singles. The majority of the remaining unreached people groups are very distinct from our western individualistic ideals, and therefore a family on the field would be ideal. But single male would have many opportunities where a husband or father would have some limitations. I think the main obstacle concerning the singleness issue is a lack of trust in God that manifests in fear and disobedience. Along with that disobedience comes great temptation and desire, and keep in mind, desire that is fully grown gives birth to death…
So, I hope to expound on these three issues and more in the coming weeks. Hopefully we all will be able to humble ourselves a bit and really dig deep as to where we’re being called to serve.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
What's so important about the top?
So, why is it that when we go through life we always want to get to the top of something? We always want the best of a certain item or we want to be 'the' expert. I'll put this in context for you. So, yesterday I decided to go on a little hike. There are mountains surrounding this place so it's really not that hard to find a trail and hop on it. And the fact that there are rather large mountains doesn't stop families from planting their homes right on the sides of them. So, the combination of cool trails and rugged villages cought my interest. But the main goal of mine was to reach the top of this particular hill/mountain. I knew it would take me around an hour and a half to get to the top and so I had plenty of time before I needed to be back for lunch.
So, I'm off...and as I'm traveling I begin to take pictures to document my little adventure. As I take numerous photos I'm not really thinking about the scene in front of me, but my main preoccupation is how the shot will turn out. Why do I think like that? Meanwhile I'm still focused on reaching the top of the mountain. But before reaching the summit there was a small village that I would need to pass through. Upon entering the village I saw a family of boys mixing some concrete in order to patch the stone wall that was connected to their small adobe home. In order to get through I had to walk through there work area so I decided to stop and chat with them before continuing on. But folks, even amidst conversation with these amazing people my mind was still racing about how I was going to get to the top of this mountain! They show their utmost hospitality for me by offering tea and a comfortable place to sit, and all I want to do is climb a stupid mountain. Over the course of the conversation however I began to realize a few things. I began to wonder...'Maybe this is your summit for the day...' or 'Maybe the summit you had in mind wasn't big enough or tall enough when compared to the summit He had in mind for you...'
And that was it... After parting with my new friends I didn't continue on. I had plenty of time to go to the top from where I was. In fact, one of the boys offered to take me himself... but that wouldn't be necessary. I had climbed enough for the afternoon. As I traveled back I began to think about the many 'summits' that I've made for myself over the course of my life. So often I place my own goals in front of His master plan when, in reality, His plan is just more exciting than reaching the top of some hill. I hope that in the future I'll be able to open my eyes a bit and be amazed at the Real mountains that He's placed in front of me. As I come to know him more He calls for me to climb higher and higher. I love that...
So, I'm off...and as I'm traveling I begin to take pictures to document my little adventure. As I take numerous photos I'm not really thinking about the scene in front of me, but my main preoccupation is how the shot will turn out. Why do I think like that? Meanwhile I'm still focused on reaching the top of the mountain. But before reaching the summit there was a small village that I would need to pass through. Upon entering the village I saw a family of boys mixing some concrete in order to patch the stone wall that was connected to their small adobe home. In order to get through I had to walk through there work area so I decided to stop and chat with them before continuing on. But folks, even amidst conversation with these amazing people my mind was still racing about how I was going to get to the top of this mountain! They show their utmost hospitality for me by offering tea and a comfortable place to sit, and all I want to do is climb a stupid mountain. Over the course of the conversation however I began to realize a few things. I began to wonder...'Maybe this is your summit for the day...' or 'Maybe the summit you had in mind wasn't big enough or tall enough when compared to the summit He had in mind for you...'
And that was it... After parting with my new friends I didn't continue on. I had plenty of time to go to the top from where I was. In fact, one of the boys offered to take me himself... but that wouldn't be necessary. I had climbed enough for the afternoon. As I traveled back I began to think about the many 'summits' that I've made for myself over the course of my life. So often I place my own goals in front of His master plan when, in reality, His plan is just more exciting than reaching the top of some hill. I hope that in the future I'll be able to open my eyes a bit and be amazed at the Real mountains that He's placed in front of me. As I come to know him more He calls for me to climb higher and higher. I love that...
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