A friend in the field got me thinking about what it means to be a Christian

A friend of mine from my original trip is in the jungles of Chile right now and she recently posted a blog about feeling forced. I have a few thoughts on the topic so I’m going to piggyback off of her post. You can read her post here: https://janiceknight.theworldrace.org/post/life-in-the-jungle-feeling-forced

Because Jesus came into the world to save the world he had to be perfect in order to be the sacrifice needed to take away our sins. So why wasn’t he sacrificed as a young child? Why did he have to wait until he was 33 years old to be our perfect Lamb? To prove to us that he was who he said he was. Meaning he had to go through human experiences and problems and always make the right choice while feeling all of the things a normal human would feel. The bible even talks specifically about a time Jesus felt forced and times where others in the past were pushed onto the path God put before them.

In Matthew 26:38 Jesus tells the sons of Zebedee that his heart is so full of grief that he feels like he’s dying. This is because like any other son of man he didn’t want to do what came next, but as the son of God he understood the why behind what came next. That didn’t stop him from crying out to God the father three times to come up with a different plan. One that didn’t involve him dying on a cross in the coming days. By the time he finished praying he knew God would not have him escape from the situation he was in and so became at peace with the decision that had been made. He didn’t even try running away on his own which he could have easily done. I bet he thought about it though. You know God was sitting up in heaven crying at what he knew had to happen next just as his son was crying out to him here on earth.

Just as Abraham loved his only son Isaac he knew that if he needed to sacrifice him because God said so then he would be heartbroken and yet at peace with the decision. And so it should be with us as well. 

Jonah most certainly felt pushed to do God’s will. He didn’t want to go preach in Nineveh and he actually did run away. The storm was God’s way of pushing Jonah back to the right path. Jonah’s punishment for disobeying was to be thrown overboard into the raging water. God’s mercy and compassion saw him rescued by being swallowed by a large fish in order to keep him from drowning. Having been given a second chance at life Jonah is vomited onto land. Keep in mind at this point he hasn’t actually said he will go to Nineveh. But with praise for God on his lips at being alive when God asks him to go again, he doesn’t hesitate. He had willing servant’s heart. Why? It sure looks like he was forced onto the path God told him to take. But was he really? When the storm of God’s wrath came Jonah chose to tell the sailors that he was running from God. He didn’t have to. When they asked how to calm the storm, Jonah told them to throw him into the sea. He most certainly didn’t have to tell them that either. Sometimes we humans are a bit dense. We refuse to do what God tells us so he has to go to extremes to get our attention. 

Here in America we are spoiled with all of the things that we have and the distractions around us. Our privileged lifestyle makes it very difficult to hear God. Even when we do it’s so easy to just give up some money and send someone else in your place. If God asks you to help someone repave their driveway do you drop whatever project you’re working on and go help them? Or do you tell them about a company that does good work on driveways and maybe even pitch in on the cost? 

Changing ourselves into willing hearts is very difficult because so little is ever asked of us. But we can manage it and with a peaceful willingness that will baffle those around us with God’s help. He knows it’s hard. He knows better than anyone, through his son Jesus, what it’s like to feel forced into doing something. But once we confirm that whatever is being asked of us is His will we should move forward whole heartedly and with a smile on our face. 

Everyone has heard of The Great Commission. Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Commission is just another word for command. Jesus may have been speaking with his eleven disciples but if he meant the command only for them Christianity would have died out shortly after their deaths. Are you a Christian? Do you believe the Holy Spirit lives in you?

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Jerusalem represents their hometown/state, Judea their country. Samaria represents their neighboring countries and the ends of the earth means everywhere else. We as Christians have been commanded to go make disciples. What are you doing in your hometown to fulfil this promise we made when becoming a Christian? 

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it- they will be blessed in what they do.

Is there some big problem in your life right now? Maybe you’re a Jonah and you don’t even realize it. This problem could be God’s way of getting you to focus back on Him. Jonah remembered God and cried out. 

Jonah 2 

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Repentance is the only thing needed to be saved. It’s so simple that it’s difficult to accept. many have trouble believing that’s all there is to it. 

We as Christians are commanded to go and make disciples. If we are full of grateful praise like Jonah should we really need to be commanded to do this task? Shouldn’t we be doing this at all times out of gratitude for God becoming man and dying for us in the most torturous way? He was whipped and thorns pressed into His skull, He was spit on and mocked, and paraded through town. Nails were hammered through His wrists and feet and he forgave them while they they did it! You deserve that pain and torment. But He went through it for you. Are you not grateful to Him for doing that so you don’t have to? Would you be willing to go through that? Why then is it so hard for us as Christians to simply tell others about this amazing thing God did for us, on our behalf? Then He did something even more amazing. He came back to life! Aren’t you so glad that the man who died for you isn’t still dead. Imagine someone loving you so much they actually took a bullet for you and died. Aren’t you heartbroken? Now imagine they came back from the dead. How happy do you feel? Don’t you want to tell everyone all about that person? Why then do we struggle so much telling others about God?

I’m a Christian. I have been given a second chance at life just like Jonah and my eyes have been opened. I have committed myself to telling the world about what Christ has done. There are so many that don’t know that someone died for them! So many people feeling so alone out there don’t know how much they are loved. I’m going to tell them. I’m going to show them. Will you?

There’s less than 3 months before I leave for training camp and less than 4 months before I head out to the first hub in Central America, Nicaragua! I’m starting on getting my vaccines for the trip and I have most of the gear I need. I’m mostly just working on figuring out appropriate clothing for the trip and trying to get it in similar colors to make wash day easier. 😉  I’ve decided to fly down to training camp instead of driving because well that’s a long drive by myself or a leisurely 2 hour flight. They have a shuttle that will pick me up from the airport along with everyone else that chooses to fly. There will be around 78 of us at training camp. Representing the three different routes leaving in August. 27 of them will be doing a very difficult route through Europe and down into Asia where my own route may run into them! 19 of them will spend the first part of their trip in South America and the second half in Africa. The other 32 include myself and we are starting in Central America then headed to South America and then to Southeast Asia. Feel free to write me encouraging notes to take with me on my trip. I have some kids and a cousin writing me stories to read and one friend is making me a workbook with coloring pages and crossword puzzles. You can even set a date for me to open the notes and I’ll read them on that day. I have a topic on the left side of my blog called Thoughts, Stories & News from Home set up and ready to go to comment on your notes or even chat with you all in the comments area about things currently going on back home with all of you! After having waited so long the trip finally feels real. I think it hit me as I bought the plane ticket down to Georgia for training camp. Oh yeah! one last thing! Keep an eye out because I’m about to start a new fundraiser!