We try to put God in a box, because naturally we tend to love control and formulas. This month I was learning more and more about the heart of God in the heart of Africa. He didn’t heal the blind man twice the same way. He is unique to each and every one of us. I would say it’s a little weird when he spit on mud and rubbed it on a blind man’s eyes. So strange. Yet it leaves a clear message. There are no formula with Him. It’s in our human nature to crave control through. Look at all the different religions, cultures and practices, all of which have schedules, practices, rituals…and formulas. We like creating a file, a folder simply organized and stored in a neat pile only to find the right way of doing things in the time of need.
If God wanted everything in order and formulated, He would have bullet pointed everything in His word.
Instead, He is a creative God. He gave us that freedom, too. A freedom for the Holy Spirit to guide you in ways you have never experienced.
During team time, we decided to go around and share with each other what fruit of the spirit we could work on and which one we did well. The Holy Spirit led each and every teammate to discover and share fruits for each other. Everyone looks at the fruit of the spirit in a different way. God didn’t leave us with bullet points of what each fruit of the spirit specifically means. He left us with creativity. A way to press into the Spirit, a way to press into faith, to discover what they mean to us through Him.
Faith has no formulas. There is no right or wrong way.
This month in Malawi, God was able to show His way of being “unorganized” through the ministry. Our mornings consisted door to door ministry. Which I had never done before. To be honest I was hesitant and weirded out by it. It reminded me of Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons back home whom I would never open the door to, and here I am doing the same thing they are! But it’s also very different. People are hungry to know MORE, to receive answers, to accept love, to be encouraged. Children would follow, adults would be curious. I was encouraged because they were encouraged.
One of the homes we visited held a paralyzed women. We prayed and she got up! She still needed assistance, but actually seeing the power of God is a crazy cool. As much as that was awesome to see and experience, I wasn’t satisfied. When Jesus healed, the people were healed completely. So why was this women still in pain? Why wasn’t she jumping up and down?
Yeah, I know…I sound like the stubborn Israelites walking from Egypt to the Promise Land (which, ironically, I literally am one). Here, Jesus made a women who had been paralyzed from age twelve to walk, and I just wasn’t satisfied.
Until she this woman speaks that her hope is in the Lord.
WHAT?! I was so focused on her being body to be completely healed while the Father wanted her whole heart to be completely healed. I was focused on physical things of this world, which pass away, while God wanted to use that opportunity to grow her faith and hope in Him that He will completely heal her. Heal something that is eternal. Heal something more vital.
I was trying to imitate Jesus and what He did here on earth. Yet again, how could I if He did all of that without the same method?
Out of the dozens of people I got to see and pray with, Ethel was a women that I was able to connect with. Her heart was bigger than her smile. I knew she had a story to share and I needed to encourage her before she could do that. She was so thankful that I wasn’t there to encourage her with prosperity and gaining earthly wealth, because that’s all that the “azunogos” (white people) would tell her. Her husband had an affair, her church left her, her family abandoned her, and her neighbors became her enemies. She was alone with a new born whom she called Happy. She has not given up on the Almighty. Her faith in Him rocked my world.
I got to see Muslims fall in love with Christ, children pray with joy and passion during children’s ministry, youth ministry on the soccer field, paralyzed walk, and got to answer the hard questions about Christ with the Holy Spirit guiding me during evangelism.
All was done without a formula. All was done through the leading of the Holy Spirt and faith.
He is a good good Father <3
