May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: Rejoice! Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. In conclusion, my friends, fill your mind with those things that are GOOD and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable. Put into practice what you have learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
These are the concluding remarks in a letter written by Paul to a church in Philippi, while he was waiting to be released from prison. Its unexpected words to hear from a man in jail, who has had many rough times in his life. He tells to be thankful for the things that deserve praise and to keep that at the forefront of your mind instead of dwelling of what is wrong. Paul found peace in mind and heart because he had unyielding faith in God. He says to rejoice and not worry, to ask God for what we need with a thankful heart, and focus on the things in our life that deserve praise.
The Lord has been teaching me and my teammates many things over the course of the last 6 months. We have had individual lessons and group lessons that He wants us to learn. Sometimes, it’s something that takes a few day or a few months to learn. It doesn’t matter our age, or our background, or how much schooling we have had, there is always more to get out of this life and ways to grow in becoming more like God.
One thing we learn on the World Race is just being content. Content in all things and circumstances. Especially coming from the United States, we are so spoiled but we tend not to see it unless we are thrown into a place that has nothing. I think everyone should travel and stay in a third world country for at least a week. With just the clothes on their back, maybe one or two other sets of clothes because even the poorest of the poor wash their clothes and try their best to stay clean.
When my team was driving to a remote village in Nepal we started to talk about the things most Americans would have a hard time with in these countries.
It went a little something like this…
“What, you want a toilet to sit on when going to the bathroom?”
“You want space when you ride in a taxi/bus” or my personal favorite “you want to ride INSIDE the car?”
“What do you mean you want to understand the plans?”
“You want to live somewhere where you have your own space?”
“You want some quiet time away from everybody, where no one bothers you (including neighborhood kids)?”
“You want to eat beef for dinner?”
“You want to drive on a road without potholes every two feet?”
“You have not had enough to eat?”
“You have a problem with sleeping on a slab of wood for a few nights?”
“You don’t have access to an AC/heater?”
When we first started talking about these things it was a joke, but after a little while we became silent. I think we were all thinking about this in a more in depth level. For most of these situations, we have come across it on the Race. I’ll be honest and tell you I have heard some people on the race complain about one or more of those topics. It’s hard going from a country that’s all about being perfect to a country that is just trying to survive. But when you look closer there is so much more that you can learn. Like Paul, you need to not dwell on what you don’t have or what did not turn out the way you planned and focus of the things you have been blessed with.
Instead of “I did not get enough to eat for lunch” turn it into “wow, this family put all this effort preparing a meal for me, and although I did not eat what I’m used to eating back in America, it’s a blessing to be a part of this culture and to have this opportunity.”
Lord, help me to be content in all things. To not compare or to be selfish in my ways.
I believe this is one of the things the Lord was teaching us on the race and what I wanted to share with you. We take so much for granted in America. It’s a culture of complaining when things go wrong, but that’s not what He wants. He gives us no more and no less than what He wants us to have. Maybe your complaints look like “I have to stop for gas again today, when I just stopped two days ago.” Well, in Nepal they have to wait in long lines, pay exceedingly high prices, and a lot of the times don’t have enough money for it. They explained this to us but not in the form of a complaint, they were just stating facts. You have to deal with the hand you have been dealt, why spend your life focusing on the negatives instead of praising the positive things in your life.
For example, I am on the World Race. I rarely ever get a functioning western toilet, I’ve slept most of the time on my sleeping pad, I sometimes go a few days without a shower (it was too cold in Nepal, with freezing water), I’ve been wearing the same set of clothes for 6 months straight, I have had A LOT of rice in a lot of the times we have been traveling within countries I lost all my personal space (literally, there’s usually someone on top of me or plastered to my side, only sometimes it being someone I know). But the thing is, I am grateful for all of this. I would not change my experiences for anything because I am immersed in these cultures. The Lord has taught me so much, but the main one is be content in what I have.
To find the peace in mind and heart you have to give your full faith to God. You have to pray to Him, to talk to Him and to become more intimate with Him. You cannot just pray for the things you “want” or to complain to Him about the circumstances you may not like. I believe in prayer. Talking to the Lord, laying your heart for Him. He loves us so much that although He already knows what is on our hearts, He also wants to hear us willingly say it to Him. It is also good to ask Him for the things that we need, but like Paul taught us, it should always be with a thankful heart. We should also do so after we praise the Lord for what he has already blessed us with. Our thoughts should be true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable. For we honor all God has done for us when we act and think this way. When we do this, even if circumstances seem insurmountable, we gain God’s peace which will help to keep our hearts and minds safe.
