I talked in my last post about my decision to take part in the spiritual war being waged over this world, and I got pretty fired up. I don’t mean to imply that it’s been all persecution, though. I’d be remiss to report on the negatives without also noting all the wonderful blessings that we have received.
It’s crazy fun to know you’re following God’s will. We on the V squad have seen this first hand over the last few months. It’s been great to see the Spirit working in our lives even before we actually leave. One of our team leaders, Daniel, reminded us when we left camp that just because we aren’t leaving right away doesn’t mean we aren’t missionaries. Today, and every day leading up to the race, the mission field is right where God has put us. So many praise reports have come in showing how eager God is to allow us to minister to the people in our church, our community, ever the car next to us on the road! We’ve seen financial assistance come in from the most unlikely of places, and bake sales and garage sales provide vastly more than we ever expected. We’ve been beset on all sides but within each of us has been the constant presence of God reminding us that we are loved, we are called, and we are protected by the great I AM. What a wonderful gift to be called to serve God, and to know He loves us without faltering!
I’ve been personally given great gifts. I’ve talked already about the love I’ve found with a new family in Christ, and about the freedom I’ve been given to live a life unbound by the negative opinions of other people. There is so much more I’ve been given, though. To say it like the Psalmist says,
Two instructions I have been given:
To love this world with the love of God,
To earnestly seek His face
And to grow to maturity in Him.
How awesome is it to receive direct instruction from God? I have often struggled with listening for the guidance of the Spirit, and more than once I have thought how neat it would be if God just made all the tough decisions for me so I’d know I wasn’t serving only myself. Far too often though the choices God wanted me to make were difficult, and I found it simpler to just go my own way. I didn’t leap headfirst into the opportunity for the Race at first – it took some serious work on God’s part to finally convince me that this was absolutely in my best interests spiritually. Once I accepted His call I’ve felt wonderful that I’m finally doing something right with my life, but at training camp God stepped in again. I can’t just coast now, secure that my life is on the right track for the next year, and so God told me in no uncertain terms, “Chase Me.” It’s a reminder that I can’t get by making a good choice or two and think I’ll somehow become a great hero of the faith. Getting to know God is a long-term intensive process, and if I do not earnestly strive every day to become the man He wants me to be, I’m never going to be truly happy with my life.
One of the things I’ve ignored about being a Christian is an understanding of how the Bible fits into my life. I’ve had the Bible studies, listened to the sermons, done my daily reading, but I’ve never really tried to apply it to my life. I’ve been content to grab a nugget of truth, or maybe go over ‘thou shalt care for orphans and widows in distress’ and say “righto, next orphan in distress I see gets some good proper caring-for” – but as far as understanding what it looks like to be spiritually mature, I let it slide. Again, that’s changed. Again, God had been very clear on the matter. “Grow up!” I’ve realized that God is not interested in sending Don Hamilton, Spiritual Child, out on this trip. I’m supposed to become a MAN of God, with all the knowledge and discernment and faith that comes with that. I know in four short weeks I won’t come close to reaching the maturity God expects of me, but I intend to try. If you’re looking for something to pray about, pray that I’ll grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that I may be able to give to everyone I meet the peace He has given me.
