Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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I have realized that we all, unaware, carry around things within us.  Some good things, some not so good things.  Some spirit, some flesh.  Some heaven, some world.  Some light, and some dark.  

The greatest commandment is to love;  love God and love people.  And Jesus tells us to remove the plank from our own eye before we can see rightly to remove the speck in our neighbor’s. 

I came to training camp thinking I was doing “OKâ€�.  I mean, I get Christianity.  I have a general understanding of scripture.  But how good am I at loving?  How good am I at loving?

These last four days, like never before, I have felt this unbelievable plank of pride surface in my heart.  It has showed its ugly self as I have become frustrated through a series of trials.  I want things my way.  I want to be around people that are just like me.  People that worship like me.  People that affirm the same doctrines as me.  People that pray like me.  I want to sacrifice, but only when its easy.  I want my portion of food at the table, and I want to leave the table full.  I don’t  want to wait for others to eat to find out how much I will have for myself.  I want to get eight hours of sleep and not sweat to death in the process.  I want air conditioning, and I want water when I’m thirsty.  I want to love, but only when it doesn’t cost me anything.  I want my space, and I want my alone time.  I want comfort.

 I am going on this mission into the darkest places on earth with 5 other people;  one guy and four girls.  This will be my family for 11 months.  We will be living in tight community.  Nothing has given me more anxiety than wondering who will be on my team.  Is God going to put me on a team with people I have a hard time getting along with?  Will I be able to deal with that for a year? 

He may or may not, I don’t know.  Either way, the gospel demands that I love.  God is more interested in my character than my comfort.  I had an idea of how hard this year would be, and that idea has been shattered.   I feel like one of the young Jews, after they refused to bow down to idols, and were about to be thrown into the furnace.  I accept this journey, for the truth is, as long as this plank of pride is not burned up, I simply cannot love as Christ calls me to love.


Am I scared?  Yes.  Am I trusting?  Yes.  Is this good?  Absolutely.  The Lord treats us as sons, and so we receive His discipline, which is never fun, but painful, and in the end, yields the fruit of peace and righteousness.   I may be heading into the furnace, but the Lord is with me, and He goes before me.  May His name be praised in all the earth!