This is Part 3 of my three part blog, Tips to Future World Racer's: What Spiritual Life on the World Race looks like.
As you read in my last blog, my tips to preparing for the WR included learning to be open to anything the Lord has for you, getting into the word, & seeking out your spiritual gifts. Here are some examples of different spiritual journey's of the people on my team. I want you to see that not one Christian is on the same journey as another while on the race — we are all growing, all have struggles, & all have things we are learning about our King. Enjoy =)
Racer #1 For me the race is about dependence on the Lord. I didn't necessarily think thats what it would be. I thought it would be more me pouring out into others. But God's been pouring a lot into me as an individual. You meet the coolest people because of the WR, everyone becomes your new best friend! I love that aspect of it. I think sometimes in this culture, you are constantly surrounded by people talking about God & their own relationship with Christ that it's easy to forget your own relationship with him. I would encourage future racers to be intentional to pursue Christ on a daily basis & seek to be in the Word independently.
Racer #2 For me, the WR culture fosters an enormous amount of growth. Spiritual things that normally I would've thought were stupid, are not. For example, fear used to be one way the enemy got into my heart. However, now I've walked into the discernment of spirits, & can point out lies versus truths. I've also walked into a love of reading. When in Swaziland, I took a day & read 8 spiritual books one afternoon! That's never happened before. Also, the night before my cousin died while on the race, I had a two way conversation with Jesus that was so cool. Fun facts: I love collecting money on the race; it makes me feel like Harry Potter haha. Also, I've never been around this many Godly dudes!! Haha it gives me faith in the male gender.
Racer #3 The thing that I struggle with the most on the race is anger. Some days it completely encases my body & I don't always know how to fight it. I understand it as an attack from the enemy. Last month the Lord really set me free from my old heart that was giving me a decaying crypt. I have welcomed a brand new heart! The enemy still continues to attack that new heart with anger, but I know it means there is something better coming! I'm feeling emotions for the first time in my life, since I was a teenager, & its awesome! Its new. The enemy wouldn't keep attacking it there wasn't something bigger coming.
Racer #4 I didn't really read any of the blogs before the WR basically because I didn't really want the inside scoop. I wanted to find everything out on my own & have no expectations for my spiritual journey with God. This is what I've learned: As American Christians, we do not have it all together & we shouldn't try to fix everything and mold everyone into our way of doing things. The world turned before I got here, & it will turn after I leave. The WR isn't a mission trip in which I will change the whole world, rather its a journey of gifts that I am able to distribute to numerous people across the globe. The gifts I deposit are love, compassion, God's grace, & mercy that I extend to all those that He places in my path. On the WR you will teach, you will be taught, & your love will grow in all knowledge, as well as every kind of discernment (Philippians 1:9) I leave you with this verse, "Always remember that you must not get tired of doing good, for you will reap at the proper time if you do not give up!" (Galatians 6:9)
Racer #5 A big thing I'm learning about is spiritual warfare. Before, I would just give in, & give up when the enemy would come & try to attack. But now, I'm learning, or understanding that attacks will come, & learning how to better fight when they do! The end! Amen! Stupid freaking devil!
Racer #6 I am spiritually still the same since the race began, however I am digging into my Bible more than I'm used to. Some times when people say, things are of the enemy– I'm still a little leary about that. I don't think technically every struggle is of the enemy & that we are put through hard times to become a stronger person. There are good days and bad days, but do not let it get you down. Its normal! =) I came into the race thinking that I would be helping others, but in all reality, this is helping me grow as an individual.
Racer #7 A struggle for me is learning to live with different people. We are a real community. A lot of times we can't get away from each other. We are forced to live with one another. I've been growing in this, & I don't let things bother me like I used to. I don't get bent out of shape from little things, but really trying to trust God in everything. I've never had this intimate of a relationship with Christ: like hearing His voice speaking to me. I'm really open to all the spiritual gifts, & praying for every single one of them. I believe God is answering that prayer in sections. I thought the race was going to be more of an outreach, more evangelical program. But for me, its definitely more of a right of passage with your walk with the Lord.
Racer #8 Before the race, I never really understood how my relationship with Christ worked. I knew that in order to pursue Him, you were supposed to read your Bible & pray everyday. I never grasped the fact that He wanted a relationship with me, & that I could hear Him or have a two way relationship. Now, three months into the race, I've walked into the gift of prophecy (where He gives me encouraging visions for people around me). I come to understand that we have the same spirit inside of us Jesus did (the HS), & that we can do anything that He did, & more (John 14:12-14). That includes healing the blind, the lame, the sick, etc. I've seen miraculous things while on the race, & have placed my hands on the sick & they have been healed! Things I've never believed in are happening before my eyes, & I'm learning each & everyday that we are New Testament creatures, walking in pure love, with the grace of Jesus always with us. Love is easy, we can't keep making it hard.
Racer #9 For me, I think I'm learning how to take care of myself for the first time in a really long time, and how to listen to God even if it goes against my pride, my plan. I've always known this, but its interesting finding out that God's plan for everyone is different. Comparing each others walks & each others experiences with Jesus is completely futile — its not productive, its not effective, its not good. Really our individual journeys will all look completely different. Thats ok in the end! The biggest thing for me I guess is just learning how to take care of myself however that looks like. Also, along with that, really for the first time I'm believing that God is way more accepting of my questions & my struggles more than I ever thought. He honors those questions.
Racer #10 I think the biggest thing that I've learned on the race is how to love people that are different from me, & just how incredibly different people are. Christ calls us to love everyone, but it doesn't mean that it is easy. It is important to learn how to love people in the different ways that they need to be loved, especially your teammates. I've learned to be more like Christ, & how He loved the lost. Even some of us racers are lost, & we still need to learn to love each other, as well as the people we come in contact with. The race is a little bit different than I thought it would be. I thought it would be an outreach program, but in fact its more of a discipleship program. Also I personally have never been as close to the Lord as I am here. My relationship with Him is growing, changing, and becoming deeper, an effect that I pray continues with me in my life after the race, though I know it will.
Racer #11 Before going on the WR, I had never experienced prophecy, healings, or speaking in tongues. My mind was very open to these spiritual gifts, but I was also very skeptical. I always had a fear of rejection and what other people thought of me. Something that the world race has opened my eyes to is that fear is the opposite of trust and I need to trust God more. While out in ministry, I used to be nervous about going up to people and praying for them. Now, I feel led by the Holy Spirit, trusting that God overcomes fear, & have seen miraculous things. Now, my views on prophecy, healings, and tongues are so different because I'm now fully open to what God has for His children.
Racer #12 The biggest thing that has been an impact that I didn't expect is the importance of cultivating a spiritual environment where we are living. I've learned about the spiritual authority that I have to change an environment, and the important of depending on the Lord to do that. Coming into the race, that is something I was not prepared for. For example, in our first country, Mozambique, we were encouraged many times to walk around & pray over Iris Ministries (our base camp). I didn't realize the importance of doing that, & learned the the enemy does know our power, he knows we are there, & knows that we come in Jesus' name. He does not want us to spread Christ's love & message, so He will try every way to get us down (sickness, storms, bug bites, etc.). By praying over the places we stay & sleep, it hinders the enemies power over us, & we have the ability to cultivate the presence of the Lord wherever we go!
I hope that gives you guys a little more detail on racer's spiritual journey's on the World Race. It's not always easy, we don't always have all the answers, but we are constantly learning, growing together in a community, & learning how to cultivate the Lord's presence wherever we travel in the World! God Bless.
Sarah Ann
