Last night we had a house guest and her life and faith in Christ spoke to me. Its one thing when I complain about Christian's and I do that more than I should. But it such an honor when I can look at one and say… "Wow they really have this living for Jesus thing down." Well really she really has living for Christ down. She'll know who I am talking about when she reads this, but I want her to receive her rewards in heaven. Now she's not perfect, WHO IS? But I see her living her life trusting God in ways that I would want to emulate. You see she lives in an apartment in Kyiv like we do, but the difference is she is letting a family of Ukrainians live with her… and as far as I know… free of charge. They clean and cook and take care of her too, but she isn't concerned about them "carrying their weight." She just loves them, trust God for her provision, and if they have family stop by and stay for a week, she is cool with it. I so admire her attitude. I so want God to work in my heart to have that kind of attitude. She isn't try to maximize her financial status. She isn't making sure she has enough for tomorrow. She knows who brings tomorrow and she thrust HIM more than most Christians I know.
You see I unfortunately many of the western Christian Missionaries I have met are more concerned about their personal comfort and security than they are in spreading the Gospel! OUCH I felt that too. Too many want to have a really comfortable base of operations from which they can "do the work of the ministry." But so often they seem caught up in making sure they have the latest and greatest technology. And when they leave do they give it to some one less fortunate and emulate the principles of Christ's Kingdom???? No they try to sell it and get as much as they can for it. Part of my angst with this is the realization of my own lack of faith. I think that I need the best and fastest computer to do my work. I thought I needed a PDA (a.k.a Palm computer). I think I need a roof over my head and lots of food on the table… but you know there are 100's of millions of Christians living without those things, and God loves them and he provides for them. HE is more interested in their eternal salvation and status than He is in minor comforts…
I know my God loves me. I know He provides for me, but too often I find I am complaining that I don't have enough cool stuff to do my work. Actually I have more than I need. I can write, I have pens and I can buy paper if needed. The computer can be helpful but it can also rob me of valuable time when it decides to act up.
So where am I going with this? I hope and pray that more of us Christians could catch the kind of attitude that I saw in this young woman who blessed our home the other evening. I feel so blessed to know her and I am blessed by the example of her faith and her trust in our Father in Heaven.
So the next time you find you saying, "I need 'such an such'", take a step back and consider what you really need… Jesus. You have his love and his salvation… everything else is gravy. Most of us could stand missing a meal or two and a night sleeping on the street might teach us how much we have and how blessed we are in material wealth. But if all that vanished tomorrow. If our world was suddenly turned upside down and we had no food, no job and no place to live, that wouldn't mean that God had stopped loving us or that our eternal salvation had been taken from us. All's it would mean would be that our lives would be temporarily uncomfortable and maybe hard. But compared to the all the Christians around the world that are facing death every day because of their Muslim neighbors who hate them, we would still be living a relatively sedate Christian life.
May you experience a true sense of God greatness and love this week. Praying that you too could be released from the bondage to materialism and the need for creature comforts…
In Christ,
Your brother and friend,
Alan
No comments:
Post a Comment