As I sit here writing, I must admit that my head feels a bit clouded. When I postponed my world race adventures from January to July 2015, I felt that it would give me more TIME and clarity as I prepared for the race. However, as time has gone on, I have found myself in various circumstances either questioning God’s plan or timing. I know the World Race is a mission trip that God has led me too, but as time begins to elapse, I find myself trying to decipher between the various paths before me. On one hand, there is an amazing job offer that I have a realistic chance of getting. In another, there is a vehemently passionate pursuit within me to follow the overarching goal of getting into medical school to become a doctor, and thus use those talents for the glory of the Lord. Among all these huge decisions, I have a stirring within my soul to serve the Lord Jesus recklessly (in a good way) while I am relatively young before all those “huge” plans come to fruition.
I know that God can use anyone for his kingdom, and often I find it hard to reconcile how He could use me on the World Race. To be honest, I am not even sure. I mean, I have been told by some people that mission trips are only a temporary patch or fix to a circular situation. When you kind of think about it, perhaps it is. Yet, within me, I continually find myself rejecting that notion. While a mission trip such as the World Race is temporary (seeing we are only in a country for 1 month), God can free someone from slavery, deliver a lost soul back to him, or feed his people through the participants that listen to His calling to “go.” The challenge is indeed hard. Forreal, not only are we giving up a years worth of work, fundraising the whole thing, and buying equipment, but essentially we are starting life over again when we get back to the States. While it seems hard to abandon life as we know it, there is a tantalizing beauty within dropping everything to submit to God. Albeit obscure, life is not about the American Dream or the American Church! God gave each of His beloved life to serve Him with a World Wide and Minded Mission. For some, that is tough to accept and follow.
Let me put it another way. If you look through Matthew, Mark, and Luke on the topic of how to inherit the kingdom of God, what do we see? Jesus told the rich man he had to give up everything to the poor. Jesus told of how he invited many to a supper and nobody showed up, so he invited those poor, lame, and in shambles to the table. Jesus said that feeding someone hungry was like feeding Him. Although this is just the tip of the iceberg, you can notice that the whole American thought of salvation “receive the Lord with your whole heart and repent,” was actually not stated in Jesus’ ministry. Do not get me wrong. Believing in the Lord with your whole heart and repenting is an amazing thing and is demonstrated in the Bible, but Jesus was about service for the “least of these.” While it seems Jesus was preaching a good works message, it must be understood that good works are merely a manifestation of followers of Christ. So as a redeemed follower of Jesus, why do I contemplate this global purpose for my life? Much has to do with my own insecurities.
In the last few days I have found myself wandering aimlessly. No more should that happen! I actually just heard a quote from David Platt who said “If there is a billion and a half people who have never heard the gospel, then the only way we can stay here is if we are convinced that what we are doing here to effect what is is going on over there is greater.” I can surely say at this point in my life, what I am doing here in Las Vegas and at my church is good, great actually, but it is nothing compared to winning lost souls to Christ in the most desperate places. God has given me just authority through His Word to combat the confusion in my mind. Serving Him is my goal and purpose and there is no looking back. The World Race is a blessing. It brings the lost, weak, and hurting back to the Savior. Is there anything greater than that?
