At what point do we look past what is happening in a community and start to sense what is happening on a spiritual level? When do we look past sunsets on the beach, surfers, and great coffee to see a town that is broken and hurting? When do we look past the façade that has been painted for us and see a place as God does?
It’s easy to walk into Costa Rica and see the water, beautiful people, and green mountains, especially in Jaco. Who wouldn’t dream of spending a month in a beach town in Costa Rica; days spent working in the sun, nights spent at the beach. It’s easy to get caught up in the Pura Vida life all around, but when you dig deeper into Jaco you begin to see the dark side of such a picturesque town.
God and I had a hard time at the beginning of my month here in Costa Rica. I felt distant from him, insecure, and like I was trying to search for him with no help. As I began to step into what was happening around me I began to realize that I was picking up on the spiritual climate of Jaco. I was getting lost in what was happening here and I honestly believe it’s because God has given me the ability to sense these things and then pray into them. I just had to take a moment to realize that the people of Jaco are lost.
So many people come here in search of something. They are here for what they think is true freedom and the ability to seek out whatever they want. But they are lost. They are searching for a freedom that only comes from God. At the surface though it seems like everyone is here on their own journey and has found the freedom that they search for. But a community is never truly how it seems from the outside. There is always more.
I believe God wants us to seek out the true spiritual climate of the place that we are. I also believe that he wants us to pray into what ever he is showing us. I had the opportunity to participate in a prayer walk with the women’s group at our church here in Jaco. These women are North American women who speak English and know the Lord, and yet many have never taken the time to pray for Jaco. They look past the city that they are in every day and don’t take the time to pray into what God wants to do here. How often do we do the same thing in our own towns?
The biggest question in all of this is: are you willing to seek out the true spiritual climate of a community and step into what ever God is asking of you there? We are called to dig deeper. We are asked to step into what God is doing in a community and meet him there. What would it take for you to seek out what God is doing in your town and begin to pray for the people right around you?
God wants us to be missionaries right where we are. This month my home is Costa Rica so he asks for me to meet him here and pray for the town that he has me in. Next month my home will change but God’s request for me doesn’t. I believe God has the same request for you, are you willing to press in and meet him in it?
