I am daily humbled by the way this culture embraces our team and our squad and each of us as individuals. It is so evident that this culture values family and relationships.
It is eye opening to see these people so willingly and selflessly give up their homes, their beds, their time, comfort and space for us. They have so little, yet give so much. In America it is the complete opposite. We have so much and give so little. For the most part the Dominicans live the same lifestyle as we do in America except they value family and relationships a whole lot more. They buy food and clothes for their family and have homes. However, they do not have some of the luxuries we have, such as the latest greatest technology and video games and nonsense that fill every second of our time and day. They don’t need it.
It is humbling and extremely eye opening to finally feel like I am living in the way that the church body should truly be lived out. We are all being cared for and our needs are put above others. With the little that these people have, they give it all up so that we may feel as comfortable and cared for as possible. Without question they offer and give us things that they would normally need and/or use. Often times in America we think so hard and even debate sharing or giving up our own belongings, even if it is only for a short time. That seems unheard of here.
I have honestly been struggling this past week with the selfishness that has been resonating in each of my teammates, including myself. In a culture such as this, it is SO obvious to me the ways in which we are selfish and the ways in which we were raised and brought up living in America. It has left me feeling disgusted and ashamed, yet ohh so thankful and blessed that God is bringing this out of us so early in this journey. He is working in me and is slowly pulling out my boldness in all of this. He is making me aware that even though I am the youngest person on my team, He has given me wisdom and maturity in areas that my teammates lack and vice versa. And just because I discern things that others may not, does not give me the right to overlook them or not share them with the “elders” of my team. I am really honestly struggling with all of this because it is so new to me, especially boldness at this point. However, I am fully aware that God is moving in my heart and I am convinced that I will soon be a woman of God walking firmly in my boldness that He has given me to go with my discernment. Praise him!
As I was reading my devotional today, God really spoke to me about selfishness.
“…you are slaves to the one whom you obey…” – Romans 6:16
I realized that we are responsible for having yielded ourselves to whatever it may be. This means that we are slaves to ourselves because somewhere in the past we yielded to ourselves. We are slaves to whom we obey and to the things we allow ourselves to do. If a child gives in to selfishness, he will find it to be the most enslaving tyranny on earth. There is no power within the human soul itself that is capable of breaking the bondage of the nature created by yielding. You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only one who can break the dominating power in your life, Jesus Christ. When you yield to something, you will soon begin to realize the immense control it has over you. Yielding to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in a person’s life.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 2:3-5
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that – a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth – even those long ago dead and buried – will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise tat he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:5-11
Thank you Lord for opening our eyes to the things that control us. May we continue to daily die to ourselves so that you may resonate and overflow in each of our lives. Thank you so much for immediately breaking us in this journey and teaching us the things that we need to know in order to continue and grow in our relationship with you throughout these next 11 months. May you continue to break us and do whatever it takes for us to become nothing so that YOU may become everything in our lives. May your Spirit reign down in and through us so that the nations may be reached. Praise your holy, magnificent and powerful name. Amen.
