I have more faith in the simple gospel of Jesus now more than I ever have.
The more people I meet, the more places I see, and the more experiences I have, I realize that the love of Jesus is literally the only thing I can ever have hope in.
The other day, we visited a poorer part of Phnom Penh and went into the home of a woman whose children go to the church we’re working with. She comes to church with her children on holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.) but identifies as a Buddhist.
“Why don’t you come with them more often?” We ask her.
She explains that if she goes too often, she’ll be disobeying an idol she has in her home, and that the idol will punish her and make her family sick.
“Do you think that the idol loves you?” I asked.
She told us yes, despite the threats of punishment, the idol loves and cares for her. It reminded me of someone in an abusive relationship.
“Does it offer any sort of forgiveness if you disobey it?”
She says no, there is no forgiveness.
She didn’t know much about Jesus, so I explained the gospel to her.
We told her that she was already forgiven—all she had to do was believe. That God does not harm us. That he is a father who loves and cares for his children.
She said that she believed what we said, but that she couldn’t profess it.
She couldn’t turn away from her idol.
We made sure she knew that she was deeply loved by God and prayed for her before we left. She was so sweet and I knew that at least she had gotten to hear who Jesus was, but I was still a little bummed.
I thought: how? How could someone hear the best news you could ever hear— that salvation is FREE, they could find freedom and purpose and hope in being fully known and fully loved— and still choose to live in fear of a threat, of punishment and of unforgiveness?
And I remembered something that stood out to me recently as I read through the book of John, chapter 6:
A crowd is asking Jesus what they must do to inherit the eternal life he talks about.
They ask him: “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus replies: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
That’s all, you guys. By grace through faith. He goes on to explain how they shouldn’t work for things of this world. That he is the bread of life. That the words he spoke are of spirit and truth— and that the works of the flesh are nothing without faith in him. And then:
“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (v.66)
WHAT? I can’t imagine having walked with Jesus as long as I have, through as many things as He’s taken me through, and walking away from him now. But there were disciples that LITERALLY walked with Jesus, witnessed his miracles, heard him teach, and still turned away and denied him. They were clinging to other beliefs and couldn’t accept Jesus’ teaching.
We cling to plenty of things in our lives that don’t look like small Buddha statues.
I know that in my life, there have been so many times when I’ve denied Jesus and have held onto different things because I believed that everything would fall apart if I let go of any of them. By holding onto those things, I was continuing to poison myself without realizing it. But not anymore. The only thing I hold onto now is Jesus. And I am free. That’s what I love most: what I call the gospel of opposites. Lay down your life and find it in return.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet people not only from the countries we’ve visited this year, but who are traveling as well. I always try to ask them what they’re searching for.
Their life’s purpose. Happiness. Freedom. Some are traveling because they don’t want to deal with things going on back home. Some people have been hurt by others. They’re running away from things. Running to things.
After almost 9 months of traveling, I’ll tell you this: they won’t find what they’re looking for. They’ll find adventure, meet new people, have great stories, see beautiful places, and maybe have some revelations about themselves— and then they’ll go home and realise that it wasn’t enough.
Traveling won’t save you. Money won’t save you. Fame won’t save you. Ask any of the richest, most famous people in our world. They’re still not filled. If anything, many of them are more unhappy than people who have exponentially less than they do. Once you believe that the secret is more, more, more, your joy will be less, less, less.
More schooling, a better job, more adventure, a bigger city, a better life partner— you can try to cling to these things to try and find what you’re looking for, but you won’t find it. At the end of the day, none of it will ever be enough. You can even try to be a good enough person, but there will always be so much pain and hurt in the world, and your hands will never be big enough to hold all of it. Trust me- I’ve tried and failed.
There’s so much going on in our world right now. Countries on the brink of nuclear war, multiple refugee crises, devastating natural disasters, corrupt governments and leaders—it’s enough to make hope seem like something that doesn’t exist anymore.
I know where my hope is. It’s not something that can be shaken, or argued away, or taken from me. It’s not something I had to earn or beg for. My hope is in Jesus.
Where is yours?
