“If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we tend to prefer to do life with people who are similar to us. We live in neighborhoods and associate with people who look like us and act like us. Most of us go to church with people similar to us. This is the natural tendency of all people. But the Gospel is not natural. The gospel blows the doors off our tidy little hegemonic communes and creates a whole new community that never would have formed without it. What was once divided is now unified in love.” – Matt Chandler, To Live is Christ to Die is Gain
Have you ever stopped and considered what things you do for the Gospel? God calls us to love all, feed the poor, talk to the downcast, live outside ourselves and do things we can’t do on our own strength. This is not the most natural thing, but I find that because it has become normal in my circle of friends, I no longer realize how unnatural it really is. I am currently living in a foreign country, one I didn’t even choose. I am working in a community I didn’t choose, with a ministry that isn’t always easy. I sleep on the floor in a house of 30 people, with two toilets and three showers. I eat on $5 a day, which consists of a lot of things I didn’t eat at home. And all the while, I am called to find joy in my circumstances, love people unconditionally, talk to strangers, do whatever is instructed of me, and learn more about God and life along the way. Sounds pretty unnatural to me.
Choosing to go on the World Race is not the norm. Not every 26 year old quits their job, leaves their family, and pays to live in sub-par conditions. I often lose sight of this. I often forget just how much I’m living on faith. The seven people I talk to on a regular basis made the same choice. We all lose sight of how amazing the choice to leave home was because we all did it. I compare myself to the long term missionaries I meet and think, I could never do that. I downplay what I’m doing because it’s only a year. I think the foreign missionaries are the ones living out the gospel, not me. But I must stop myself. What I’m doing is not natural. What I’m doing is living out my faith. What’s I’m doing is no small thing.
Matt Chandler asks these questions of his readers, “Are you living a life worthy of the gospel? Do you just hang out with people you like? Are you timid to share your faith with others? Are you growing in God?” He tell us to, “Face these questions with courage and press on. Jesus loves you.”
So my challenge to you is to think about your life. What things do you do for the gospel? Celebrate your victories and choose a few areas to push further.
