It took me four months of being an international missionary before I shared the Gospel from start to finish.
I mean let’s be honest – The salvation conversation isn’t super casual. Asking a stranger where they would go if they died today can be pretty weird, and the language barrier usually doesn’t help.
It might appear as if we (missionaries) are changing the world one orphan holding, disaster relief aiding, and demon casting day at a time, but our reality isn’t always as shiny as the #11n11 Instagram feed. Social media usually gets a highlight reel rather than a behind-the-scenes look, and changing the world is a lot slower of a process than one would like to think.
A lot of the time we are just giving sermons, leading children’s ministry, pouring into new believers, building friendships, and building up the Church. It can get discouraging when you don’t always see the long term effects that your short term work has. But something I have learned along the way is that
you can’t measure your success by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
God is always at work. He is always good, and He is always changing lives.
What I am trying to say is that although I have a great story worth celebrating today, I don’t want you to get distracted from the victories that happen every stinkin’ day. A lot of the time what appears insignificant to the human eye might actually be imperative to God’s ultimate plan, and every moment is worth singing praises for! Because God has, is, and will be good regardless of the outcomes or circumstances.
Anyways…
I’ve planted a lot of seeds without seeing their harvest, but during my time in Africa I have had the privilege of witnessing a season of harvest.
During a brief stay with another team, I was able to join them in sharing the Gospel with truckers at the ports of Cote d’lvoire.
Yup.
You read that right.
Truckers…
the ones that drive 18-wheelers kinda thing.
Turns out it’s a pretty great ministry.
Logistically: They share the Gospel here in Abidjan, and if a trucker accepts Christ, they write down their information which is forwarded to ministry contacts at the future truck stops. Once the truckers leave this location and reach the next stop, there are people waiting there to meet them and disciple them. In return the truckers begin to share their own testimonies and faith as far and wide as they travel.
It may be an unconventional ministry, but it’s what Jesus would do. He didn’t save people inside Church walls, He went and met them where they were at. Experiencing ministry from this point of view was refreshing for me, and I witnessed more men come to Jesus than ever before.
After attending with the other team and seeing how they interacted a few times, I finally got the call. I followed their lead and shared the gospel start to finish for the first time in my life and, per usual, I watched 5 men accept Jesus… but their confession of faith was far from normal. It was one of craziest things that I’ve ever experienced.
One of those “pinch me, is this real?” type of moments.
An experience so good that I couldn’t help but share it with the world.
You must be dying to know.
Here’s how it went down…
While the men were praying to accept Christ, a Muslim man walked up. He stopped directly behind me, and assuming that he knew what was happening, began praying a Muslim prayer very loudly.
It was a serene moment.
It’s as if satan himself was desperately trying to regain any shaky ground that he could.
Ugh, I swear satan is always tring to overshadow God’s reach…how annoying, right?
Anyways, his attacks are sometimes progressive and silent, but this time I watched his his feeble attempt of stealing joy until the very end. What really boils my blood is just how pathetic he is. Trying to distract these men from freely accepting the gift of life and love that Christ had offered them!
Well, SPOILER ALERT …
Jesus always wins.
I felt like I had witnessed Christ over power death first handedly, and God’s victories were even sweeter.
If I’m being honest I wish I could have watched satan run away like the scardey cat he is, tail tucked and all.
But I regress.
I think God gave me this rad moment just so He could show off because sometimes I lose sight, and I need a reminder.
I especially appreciate it when He does it with humor.
In that moment He reminded me of his bold personality, that he is always conquering, and that nothing can come against Him.
A lot of the time as a human I forget that, and I don’t see His valiant qualities. Maybe I’m not looking hard enough or maybe I am silently listening to the lies of the enemy.
Either way God never stops fighting for me.
Heck, a lot of the time He wins battles that I am not even aware of because He loves me (and you!) so much that He shields me from the attacks. Isn’t that neat?! We serve a God who loves us so much that He continues to rescue us without asking for any recognition.
Jesus is a triumphant Savior, and wherever you are today, I hope you will celebrate His victories.
