Journal Entry from December 2nd, 2017 –
Right now as I’m writing this blog post, I am sitting in the lobby of a Holiday Inn in Baltimore, Maryland. Last night and today, I volunteered at the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center. Hundreds of shoeboxes passed through my hands and are now headed overseas as a tool to introduce the good news of Jesus to each child receiving a shoebox. Operation Christmas Child (a project of Samaritan’s Purse) is an awesome ministry, and I am honored to volunteer with my local church. Not only is my church a drop off location for our county/area, but we also go down to Baltimore as a group of volunteers to help out at the processing center for a few days in December.
It’s ironic that on days like today I feel so much more accomplished and happy and productive than when I’m actually at my job working for a large organization.
There is a quote I saw recently in John Piper’s book “Don’t Waste Your Life”, that won’t leave my mind. Something about how when we get to heaven, what are we going to lay at Jesus’ feet. John Piper mentions a couple that retired early to a beach house and lived comfortably until their deaths and presented Jesus with seashells. I don’t want this to be my story!
Instead, how many souls have I led towards the kingdom of God and how have I shown the love of Jesus. I’m learning that life is more than just living a righteous life, attending church regularly and doing Christian things. It is about our relationship with Jesus and living out the whole Bible, and not just the parts that sound nice in a compact sermon to not lie or steal and be a generally good human being. Jesus died to restore our relationship with the Father, and with that relationship we get to live out the purpose He has designed for each of us.
Ever since I came back from my first missions trip this past October, God has shifted my thinking and I have been praying and reading my Bible more than I have in all of the past 3 decades of my life. Through much soul-searching, I am convinced that staying at a cushy job for umpteen years, going to church regularly, and being a generally good person is just not enough for me. Although I’m sure He calls some to that life, the more I seek God, the more He is pushing me to seek Him and His kingdom alone. He is pushing me outside of my comfort zone. I need to be about what He calls me to be about, and not worry what anyone else thinks or says. What is scary is that I’m at a fork in the road. I can either go one way and continue to do my Christian life as I’ve known it, or I can listen to God’s call and the tugging on my heart and step out into the deep unknown, trusting God to be who He says He is… my Savior, Provider, Sustainer, Deliverer, King, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, Mighty God, and so much more.
Do I truly believe Jesus is who he says he is?
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