Looking around me I see so much poverty, brokenness, and desperation. I see children without clothes, not just because its hot or they dont feel like it and their parents allow it, but because they cannot afford clothing. I see children with huge tummies and bellybuttons walking around the streets on a daily basis. I see children without parents and ones suffering from malaria and other treatable illnesses and yet many die without treatment. I see newly married couples happy and excited about life but cant help but think something is wrong with them because they cannot have a child. They are looked down upon by others since they cannot bare one. I see the use of spirits and black magic all around me. Its everywhere within the Dagara (the people group here) culture. Its not a joke to me anymore. This is real and its flooding the lives of these people. Some have even said before, "I know you are telling me the truth, but the spirits will kill me if I follow your Jesus, they've told me".
These people live their lives in fear. A fear that something will overtake them, a fear they wont have enough, a fear that someone will come in and make them change their ways and their people. But in reality, dont I have the same fears? Dont we all have the same fears?
But guess what we dont have to...and neither do they. It says in Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. If only we would give him our everything. If only we would stop being so selfish and prideful; thinking we can do it all on our own and we dont need any help, He would help us.
The craziest part of this whole thing is that if we would just stop and think for just a few minutes, we would realize that we werent even created to do this on our own, no wonder we struggle so much! We were created to be in partnership with our great and awesome God. A partnership in which we can lean on Him in all that we do, and He will give us strength and no reason to fear since He has a plan for our lives if we would just take up our crosses and follow Him.
But following Him isnt a cake-walk, its uncomfortable, disappointing at times, and hard...just plain hard. But the unending joy, love, hope, and perseverance that comes with knowing our Jesus as our personal Savior is so worth being uncomfortable and difficult. Its so worth it, the reward far outweighs the consequences. If we just accept it, His is all that we need. I see these children in so much need. Money may get them through the day, possibly a week, but more than money or clothes, they need Jesus. They need to know the love that H has for them and in turn the love that has filled our hearts for them. And most of the time I have too much selfish pride to give them the shirt off my back or the clean water in my water bottle or touch them if they have just wet themselves in front of me. All because I want to be comfortable. He asks us to give up our everything, quite literally. Give up your hopes, dreams, plans, money, clothes, food, homes, and rules, give it to me; so I can make it more beautiful and full of life. Well guess what, we dont want to do that. Not on a regular basis because its uncomfortable, because its not "instant gratification" and what does our culture thrive on if that isnt it. Even if we KNOW that God has something better planned for us and we need to give to those in need, we still struggle with giving Him our everything, but He tells us, do not fear I am with you. I pray you realize what it is He is asking you to give up to Him today, because I promise you He will make it even more beautiful than you can ever even begin to imagine.
