This past week, I was in Pietermaritzburg doing school ministry. We would get up early in the mornings and put on assemblies for primary and secondary schools throughout the entire day. These assemblies would consist of us doing a gospel skit, telling a testimony, and then giving a message from the Word. Each school was a different experience, and the joy that we were able to bring to these kids got me through the whole week. The part of town we went to was the village side, more rural than the city. These schools were nestled back in the beautiful rolling hills that went on for green miles. It was some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever scene in my life. On top of this ministry, we also had the privilege of joining some cell groups that our pastor, Fundili, was a part of. In these house churches, we worshiped God African style, danced around, and prayed in a thundering unison. It is crazy how they are so enthusiastic when doing church, I love it. Our hosts and their families were the best part of the trip. They were so welcoming and showed us an abundance of love. Some of the hardest goodbyes I have had to say during the Race.
While this week was filled with cool ministry and awesome people, it was also one of the most difficult weeks that I have been through. Here on the World Race we have what we call the A,B, & C zones. These correspond with Honeymoon, Challenging/Low, and Growth phases. The past two weeks have been my B zone. I have lost the energy and focus that I first had when I left in September. All the things we have been through, the spiritual weight of some things I have seen, and plain homesickness have dragged me down. I feel the need to share this with you because I want to be honest about the mission lifestyle. The question I had to ask myself about two days go was: What do I do when I become weary? I can give up, coast through the rest of my time on the field, and just get by. It would be so easy to download a couple shows on Netflix and hang in the background for the next 4ish months, however, that is not what God wants for my life or anyones for that matter. I think this is the first lesson on manhood that he is clearly teaching me. A godly man isn’t passive with his life, and to live the way I described would be a cop out. In Jeremiah, God said “But you, dress yourself for work, arise and say to them everything I command you…” (1.17). As men, we shouldn’t sit back and cost through anything, but we need to be ready for the Lord at all times. Even in that readiness, stagnation should not plague our lives but we should always be engaging in Kingdom work. So, I fell short the past two weeks, I allowed passivity to infect my life and as a result I was not a man.
In that, His kindness leads me to repentance, and I am coming out of this B zone phase. The Lord has given me resolve to kill the apathy in my life that hinders growth. I have a long way to go, but Christ is faithful to finish the work he started.
To all men that read this, where are you being passive in your lives? How can you kill that to become the man that God wants you to be? He calls us to action.
