“You’re doing what?!?!”
“Is it safe?”
“You might get worms.”
I have heard these and many other comments in response to my plans for later this year. Almost all were from Christian friends. To be fair, not all reactions have been quite like this. There have been plenty of positive ones, but equal negative. People are obviously concerned about the countries on the route I picked. Guess what!? I’m not! It will most definitely be uncomfortable at times, but God’s got it! He’ll be with me and the team the whole time; never abandoning us. Therefore there’s no reason to fear.
I believe people’s fear of third world countries comes from being too comfortable here in the states. We live in a very comfortable country. We have clean water, great hospitals, state of the art technology, and nice homes. Why leave? Well, we’re not supposed to be comfortable. The Christian life is not a comfortable one. In some countries, and we find this hard to wrap our minds around, Christians are persecuted and sometimes killed for their beliefs. That doesn’t sound very comfortable to me. Christian discomfort and persecution is nothing new. It has been around since the beginning of the faith. In the latter years of Paul and Peter’s ministry, Nero was Emperor of Rome. Nero was impulsive, lustful, and cowardly. He killed countless Christians during his reign. Some believe Paul and Peter were martyred around this time. Again, it doesn’t sound too comfortable.
Christianity could very well have been eradicated under Nero. Guess what though, it didn’t. Christianity grew. It grew because of the dire state of Rome. The many pagan gods originally worshiped by the citizens could not deliver in their time of need. Christ did though. The ministry of Jesus had a profound impact on people. He brought hope, and peace. While many religions at the time (and even now) taught that man must “climb the ladder” to be considered righteous in god’s sight, Christianity taught that God came down the ladder Himself in the person of Jesus. Through His death on the cross death was defeated, and eternal life was readily available for those who believe. The people then had nothing to fear. If they believed, they knew where they were going, and that brought hope.
This trip is nowhere near as uncomfortable as Rome was, yet discomfort will be present. “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong,” (2 Corinthians 12:10). I am not afraid. I know who’s with me the whole way through, and if anything happens I know where I’m going. Are you too comfortable? Are you afraid of uncomfortable situations/way of living? You shouldn’t be. If you are truly a believer in Christ, you have nothing to fear. Though times may become uncertain, never lose hope. The God who is over the whole world is a loving, merciful, awesome, just, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient (and much more) God. Therefore be not afraid.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” -Psalm 23:4
