Unashamed of the gospel. Unashamed of the love of Christ.
Unashamed to share that love with anyone and everyone. Unashamed. That is what I want to be. And up until a few days ago,
I thought I was doing a pretty good job. But I want to share a story about a
man that I had the privilege of serving with; who reminded me that Christ calls
us to live a life of complete and total abandonment. A life that shouts the
name of God without ever using words. A life that boasts the name of the Lord
by simply serving one another.
Meet Dan. Every Thursday and Friday he finds time out of his
busy schedule to fit in a three hour block of going door to-door, sharing the
love of Christ with his neighbors. He was my evangelism partner during the
month of July, so I got to know a little bit about him and his family. A father
of three beautiful little girls, Dan is currently unemployed. He spends his
days caring for his daughters by taking them to school, cooking their meals, or
changing their diapers. He serves as chairman of their school’s parent group.
He cleans their home and prepares it for when his wife returns from work. All
of this sounds great, right? Wrong. Because the Kenyan culture is built very
different from our American ways. In Kenya, a man is the head of the household,
meaning he is to be served by his family. Since he is the leader, he should
never be found changing diapers or cooking meals. He works and provides for his
family. Anything else is considered a disgrace to the man. But Dan will tell anyone he meets that he is
proud of his family and wants to serve them with everything he has. The Lord
has gifted him in so many areas and he is not unashamed to use his talents. I
asked him once about cooking for his family, and how he responds to the
cultural questions raised. He replied, “I used to work for a hotel, in the
kitchen. People would come from all over and I would cook meals for them. If I
can cook for a random stranger like you, shouldn’t I take much more pride in my
own family? I love cooking!” Tears filled my eyes as I realized the sacrifice
this man makes every day. He lives opposite of his entire culture. Daily he tells
the others around him that Christ is Lord, sometimes without ever using words.
And that the ways of the world are sometimes opposite of the life God has
called us to; even if it goes against everything we have been taught. Following
the Lord is so much more important, and the Lord has equipped him with a
servant’s heart. He is called to a life of humility, serving the ones he loves
the most.
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Serving alongside Dan last month taught me so much. He faces
ridicule and mocking, even from the ones closest to him. But he has an
unshakable faith. He is willing to stand up and declare the name of the Lord as
well as live completely surrendered to that faith in every situation. And I was
challenged by the way he chose to live his life. How many times do I say I want to live
unashamed of the gospel and completely surrendered to his calling in my life;
but when given the opportunity, shy back into the shadows, hoping to go
slightly unnoticed? I pray the Lord will continue to strengthen my faith daily
and continue to give me courage. And when that time comes, I will be able to
shout the name of the Lord, against all other odds; that by simply living for Christ,
others will know the power of His name. I’m so happy for people like Dan who
remind me of the importance of living unashamed.
