I spent the past few days in the woods of Georgia with 200 other crazy World Racers for training before we depart for the nations…
This is not a blog about that.
We had some incredible worship and teaching on Kingdom and Truth and the Holy Spirit.
This is not a blog about that.
We were placed into teams of people who will become our family, our friends, and our church for the next few months.
This is not a blog about that.
We heard statistic after statistic, story after story of the realities of human trafficking.
This is not a blog about that.
So what is this a blog about?
This is a blog about translating what we learn into reality. This is a blog about being educated on Truth and experiencing the Spirit, and then living that out. This is a blog about living up to a calling. This is a blog about being Christlike – on the mission field as well as in the day-to-day.
I don’t really know how to do that. Well, I suppose I know HOW, I just don’t do it. Do you?
Its pretty amazing to me how God trusts me. He teaches me something, and then pretty immediately gives me a situation where I have the choice to live out what I just learned. For example:
In the Sunday School class that I co-lead, we have been discussing different social justice issues and how to respond to them in a biblical way. Recently we touched on the topic of homelessness – in America, and abroad. It is easy after hearing stories of fraud to feel manipulated and cynical, so what we discussed and aim for is a heart of compassion and wisdom and discernment from the Holy Spirit as to how to respond in each individual situation. We reminded ourselves that our goal in all ministry is to be relational – to see those whom we serve not as an issue or a mission, but as a person, just like ourselves. As Jesus said “our neighbor,” our brother or sister.
Just a week after teaching on this, I sat at training camp and was reminded again of speaking life and truth to those around me – not just to my teammates or my friends, but to be listening for what God might be speaking in any encounter, and to be obedient to speak that out. God has created us to be relational, and has instructed us to encourage, strengthen, and comfort one another (1 Corinthians 14:3). At training camp it is easy to be still and listen to what God is saying, and to speak those words to the person in front of me.
In life, it gets a little bit harder.
On Tuesday night after our last training session, my squad of 35-ish people decided we needed some REAL food (international food and portion-sizes just weren’t cutting it!) and headed out at 11pm to a nearby Applebee’s. As the last 9 girls finally left the restaurant a little after midnight, we were approached by a homeless man sitting right outside, waiting for us to exit so he could ask us for money to buy a Krystal Burger value meal and a room for the night so he could shower. Regardless of the fact that the man’s speech and behavior made it evident that he was on drugs, I have been told over and over (and once by a homeless man) to never give money to homeless people. So I offered to go inside and buy him a meal from Applebee’s. He first declined, but then eventually said yes he would like that. Unfortunately, the kitchen had closed so I could not get any food for him. Some of the girls gave him enough money for a value meal and a room, and what he chose to do with that money is his decision and not mine to judge. However, before we walked back to our cars, I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit telling me to talk to the man and pray for him.
But I hesitated.
I was intimidated. Not by the fact that he was a strange man or homeless. I was intimidated by the fact that all these girls were around me and what would they think? I knew we were all tired and just wanting to get back to camp and go to sleep, and I worried that they would be annoyed if I took up their time to pray for this man. WHAT?!?! Spirit-filled, Jesus-loving, daughters of God would be annoyed if I wanted to pray?! Wow, what a lie! But I believed it. And I hesitated.
Right when I finally got the courage to ask the man if I could pray for him, a drunk man stumbled out of the restaurant with keys in his hand and headed toward his car. Our homeless friend was wise enough to know this was a bad idea and left us to try to dissuade the drunk man from driving off.
The moment w
as gone. I had an opportunity to encourage and comfort, and I walked away. I had a chance to bless, but I held it in. I am aware that this man’s future is not hanging on whether or not I prayed for him in front of an Applebee’s, but I am frustrated by the fact that I, and so many Christians, “talk the talk” but find it so difficult to “walk the walk”. Most Christians I know don’t even take the time to listen to the Lord. I often go through my day without ask His direction in a regular behavior such as shopping or eating, but sometimes I do listen and He speaks to me, and I have the choice to obey or ignore. I could have left that restaurant feeling blessed, but instead, I felt like a hypocrite.Which brings me to what this blog is about:
How many times do I listen and enjoy a great worship service, feeling motivated and encouraged by the sermon, only to walk out the doors to lunch and fail to put it into action, or sometimes, even remember what was said?
How often do I delete an email from World Vision on the great needs of those with HIV/AIDS, proclaiming that I don’t have enough money to donate, only to redirect my broswer to Amazon.com to purchase camping equipment or books that I “need” instead?
Don’t I privately (and sometimes in conversation) criticize wealthy Christians who spend their money on nice “stuff” instead of giving to the poor or to missionaries, but then I myself drive right by a homeless person on my way to my yuppie coffee shop?
How many times have I encouraged my youth group to speak life and not gossip or dinegrate one another, only to complain to one friend about another friend instead of taking the issue directly to that person?
Honestly, I do all of these things. And more.
Do you?
I want my actions to represent my words. I want the Truth and Life I cling to to be so much a part of me that you can’t see anything else. I want the reality of Kingdom, not just a conversation about it or a bumper sticker on my car. And I want us as a culture (not just the Christians) to really live what we believe.
To a culture that believes “all paths are correct and all you need is love,” regardless of what you believe, I ask you: “Are you truly loving today?”
