The first month here in India has been great, yet sometimes a little slow. But I have recently realized that the Lord has been teaching me so much and I didn’t even notice for so long.
We have been doing VBS with kids and going to a lot of churches. We perform skits, share the Gospel, sing songs, and talk about what God has done in our lives.
But I have learned the most this month during my quiet time with the Lord.
Right now, I am allowing God to redefine what I consider “success”. For the first 20 years of my life if somebody asked me what I consider “success”, I would reply with something about attaining an exorbitant amount of money, lots of friends in high places, and being somebody that others look at as a man of great power and respect. These past 4 months, I have felt the Lord calling me to a life that will most likely not have me making a fortune and living a lifestyle that is counterculture. I am becoming okay with that. The Lord is showing me that success in life is living in full communion with Him, allowing Him to do whatever he wants through us for His glory. Chasing after the riches of this world might be fun for a while, but will end in my life crumbling into pieces. This is going to be a long process of COMPLETELY surrendering my life to His will, but one I am currently working through whole-heartedly.
Also, it is easy to say that I know God loves me completely and that there is nothing that can change that, but do I actually have a lifestyle that reflects that? I am currently allowing the Lord to sculpt my walk with him from a pharisaical relationship in which I am judging myself off of my personal effort in knowing Him and am instead allowing myself to fully embrace what it looks like to live in the Gospel of Grace. I am accepting my status as a Child of God simply because he created me, not because of how many Bible verses I may memorize, time I spend in prayer, or the acknowledgment of Godliness from others. God is showing me what it looks like to have a relationship with him not just made up of service, but of intimate friendship simply because He loves me. We are all called to be more than simply “servants” of God and more like “friends”, just as Jesus called the disciples to be friends.
I am also currently transforming my prayer life from one that is only asking for things for myself and others into one that is consistently in conversation with the Lord about everything. The reason I pray should be to spend time with my Heavenly Father, not simply to ask for things. In a book I am currently reading, the author explains that no meaningful, positive relationship comes out of one person “using” the other. I am not going to use God anymore as somebody that I only talk to whenever I or somebody else need something.
I am going to join God at the “Mountain of Friendship”. I am going to intercede on the behalf of ALL people.
Again, I am so thankful for this journey that I am so blessed to have. Praying for all family and friends at home that God will meet you soon in a very real way and that you will recognize it.
Nicholas
