Going to China I thought I was going to get this huge shock because it is a big bad communist country. I was surprised to find that it really wasn’t that bad. Yes the Chinese government controls a lot of the businesses, but the reality is that the people are not terribly mistreated or abused. The monster that was known as communism lost a lot of its “scare” after going to China.
If anything I realized that America isn’t the answer to everyone’s questions. We have poverty, we have unhappy people, we aren’t fair to everyone either. Don’t get me wrong if I had to choose somewhere to live it would be America every time.
I guess what I realized is that every government has its ups and downs. The biggest thing that God revealed to me, and I had thought about before, is that from a spiritual perspective there really isn’t an ideal government for Christ to rule.
Though we have freedom of religion in America, we are drawn away from God by plans, power, success, money, and materialism/consumerism; not to mention that the “ I can will myself to succeed” mentality is completely unbiblical. We are called to rely on God for everything.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
This brings me to one of the biggest things I learned while in China, relying on God. We were traveling from city to city with no idea how to get to these places, and we had no definite place to stay once we got there. No one spoke English so we were completely relying on God to provide some sort of direction or route. It was so cool to be apart of God showing us rides, bus stations, and hotels that allowed foreigners to stay at. It really strengthens your faith when your only chance is to let God do His thing.
I want to challenge each and everyone of you to rely on God in some way this week or month. Don't always have a back-up plan. Allow Him to be your guidance and provider. He has never let me down and He wont let you down either.
