So let me ask you, when you read the title of this post, what did you think? “I’m Going to Do Amazing Things for God!!!” That seems like a great attitude to have on this trip, right? I’m leaving the country for 11 months; I’m giving up my entire life for nearly a year (likely longer); I’m giving up all my possessions to live out of a backpack; I’m going to preach the Gospel; I’m going to love the least of these; I’M GOING TO DO AMAZING THINGS FOR GOD!!! Right?
WRONG!!!
That is the precise attitude that I don’t want to have. The attitude that I want, nay, the attitude that I need, is that I AM GOING TO ACCOMPLISH NOTHING!! That seems counterintuitive doesn’t it? I’m about to become a missionary, and my purpose is to spread the Word of God, to make disciples, to spread the good news of Jesus’ death to the broken. And I am going to accomplish nothing! What!? If I believe that I am going to accomplish nothing, why am I going? And why I am I asking for your financial support as I accomplish nothing!? Because that’s the biblical attitude that I’m supposed to have!
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
When I am gone, GOD WILL DO AMAZING THINGS FOR GOD! I’m just a vessel, a broken, messed up vessel. And God will use me, as a broken vessel, to do amazing things for Himself. God doesn’t need me. He does amazing things all the time without anyone’s help. But God takes delight in using His people as His vessels. I must never let myself believe that I am accomplishing anything. He is the one accomplishing everything. I’m just there to watch Him do it through me, and often, in spite of me.
Allow me to tell you a story. Seven years ago, I became a Christian. When I was a baby Christian, I was a good Christian: I read the Bible in a year; I served in my church; I tithed; I did all the good Christian things. I was a better Christian than everyone else. Or so I thought. After two years of being such a phenomenal Christian, God removed the blinders from my eyes. God brought me to the pit of despair: I became an alcoholic, I became unbelievably depressed that I didn’t get out of bed for days at a time, I never read my Bible, I did nothing. Why? Because God was showing me that I WASN’T A GOOD CHRISTIAN. He was showing me who I really was, apart from Him. Any goodness in me, was not me, IT WAS HIM! God wanted to remove from me the attitude that I had anything at all to offer. By becoming nothing, GOD BECAME EVERYTHING!
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I WILL RATHER BOAST ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses… for Christ’s sake; FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
So I will leave in September, knowing that I will accomplish nothing. PLEASE FINANCIALLY SUPPORT MY FAILURE! Because when you support my failure, you are supporting God’s success!!
