“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor Him.” John 12:24-26
I am a firm believer in the word of God, but I am NOT a firm believer in my own ability to rightly interpret and obey God’s word. I have a sneaky suspicion that my own comforts and immediate environment have more to do with my interpretation of Scripture than I care to admit. This is one of those texts that I just enjoy glossing over. God couldn’t really mean that, could He? That’s just spiritual, right, He doesn’t actually mean that I need to physically follow Him, does He?
In five days I will be placing my feet down on the rich soil of Uganda, Africa. I would say I am excitedly nervous as to what may happen. It is in going to places like Africa that make these Scriptures all of a sudden scream with relevancy. I am hesitant because, the truth is, life is a lot easier when nothing is demanded of me.
Sometimes its easier to just pretend places like Uganda do not exist. (Uganda is home to almost 2 million orphans!) The reason is simple, the more it exists, the more I am accountable to it. Therefore, I am a bit nervous of how this trip may thus hold me accountable in life, the ways that it may demand more of me than I am willing to give. How may God break my heart for these people? Where might this trip lead me in the future? I have no clue!
As scary as that is for me, there is something that I am even more afraid of. I fear living a comfortable, distanced, and apathetic life, devoid of any real sacrifice. That scares me. It scares me that I would worship a God who gave up everything for me-dying on a cross-by living in a palace of self-indulgence and personal comfort. That scares me, because that’s not worship!
Am I saying that to worship God, you have to go to Africa? By no means! What I am saying is that worshiping God involves real sacrifice. Dying is scary, but it is also liberating, for there is a threefold promise given by our Savior, that we shall “bear fruit,” that we shall “keep our lives for eternity,” and that we will be shown “honor by the Father.”
On the other hand, I am going over to Uganda with pen in hand, and legal pad open. I am going to learn. The discrepancies between my life and theirs is obvious. I know very little about their depth of suffering, hardship, and loss. And I know very little of their incredible thankfulness, their genuine joy, and their contentment in life. How wrapped up am I in the things of this world? The petty frustrations, the idolatrous ambitions, and the lack of gratitude towards God, its unbelievable! Praise the Lord for grace! However, I have much to learn from these people!!
The first time I set foot in Africa I said to myself, “These are the happiest people on the face of the earth.” I still believe that, and I am looking forward to another visit.
www.embraceuganda.com
