I can’t remember the last time I’ve been stretched physically, emotionally, and spiritually all at the same time, except for this past week and a half!
From the deep and passionate worship to the hot humid weather, from the biblical and sound teachings to all the aspects of camping, from the meaningful conversations to the physically demanding activities, from the team bonding exercises to the realistic World Race scenarios, training camp was a little bit of everything. (or should I say a LOT of everything!)
As I reflect and process what I learned and experienced at training camp, this quote came to mind:
“Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like nobody’s watching.”
So how does this relate to my last 10 days in Gainesville, GA? Let me explain…
Work like you don’t need the money.
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8
For a while now I’ve been looking at my faith as a job. What do I need to do in order to earn God’s favor? What acts of service do I need to perform? How can I earn salvation and eternal life?
The truth is, there’s nothing that I can do in order to earn salvation. Why? Because God has given this to us as a gift. All I have to do is to accept it. We are saved not by the things that we do, but by the faith that we have. God created us to do good works for Him, not for ourselves, as the scripture says:
For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
We were designed to share the Gospel and make disciples in order to grow His Kingdom, and all we have to do is say yes. So I’m going to work like I don’t need the money, because I already have what I need in Christ.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
When I left for college, I had some fairly big relationship dreams. I thought that I would meet my future wife, get married, and start having a family. Eight years later, I sit here at 26, single, and far from marriage and a family.
I’ve had a handful of relationships during in the past and I’ve been hurt by a few of them. And what has that hurt done? It has prevented me from living my life. It has created me to be self centered and to just think of myself.
But how does this relate to our relationship with God? As sinners, we’ve hurt God. God didn’t design us to be sinful. But does God turn away from us when we sin? Absolutely not! Our sin is never too big for God’s love for scripture says:
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:26
And so God has put me in this season of singleness. And even though I’ve been hurt in the past, I’m going to continue to love. I’m going to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, just as God loves us.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Set your minds on what is above not what is on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:2
Today, cultural christianity is so widespread, and I’m at fault. Going to church once a week, reading the bible occasionally, and doing all the “right” things in order to show the world that I truly am a Christian. But is that what God wants?
God wants us to submit ourselves and drop what we’re doing. He wants us to say YES and not WHY. He wants us to do great things in order to point people towards Him. He wants to use us not for our own glory, but for His.
Instead of God being in my story, maybe I’m in God’s story.
God wants us to dance! He wants us to shout and praise His name no matter what people might think. He doesn’t want us to be a “cultural christian”, he wants us to be a follower of Christ. He wants us to get out of our comfort zones and radically change our lives.
And so I’m saying yes. I’m going to dance, sing, and praise His name in everything that I do!
This past week and a half quite an experience and I’m so happy that I got to share it with 25 other brothers and sisters!
V SQUAD!
My Team: The Ambassadors
FUNDRAISING UPDATE!
By the grace of God, I’m currently over 80% funded! THANK YOU to all of those that have supported me financially and prayerfully. I’ve got about $3,000 more to raise and my goal is to be fully funded by the time I leave for the race.
If you would like to donate via credit/debit/bank transfer, click “Donate” on the upper right-hand side of this page. You will be directed through the process of making a one-time, monthly, or quarterly gift.
Checks and money orders can also be made out to Adventures in Missions, with “For Will Patton” on the memo line. Your donation should be mailed to: Adventures in Missions, PO Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570. All contributions made to Adventures in Missions are tax deductible.
