Since I'll be leaving soon to go on my
missions trip with Carpenter Tools International, I decided to write something
before I go. I apologize for the lack of brevity in this post, but I will be
gone a long time. Take your time reading through this and please keep me in
your prayers!
There is no shortage of emotion that I'm
feeling as of this moment. Some include the following:
1. I'm worried. What if I am detained by
airport security for looking suspicious? What if I forget to leave my pocket
knife at home and I'm called in for questioning and delayed and miss my
flight? What if they think my toothpaste is explosive? What if I forget my
lyrics? What if the people don't like me? What if they are hostile to my
testimony and presentation of the gospel?
2. I'm scared. I don't know Japanese. How
would I communicate with them effectively and clearly? Will they understand how
great the message of the gospel is as well as its severity? It takes a lot of
effort for me to get to know new people because I'm afraid of what they'll
think of me at times. For those of you who think the opposite of me, I'm,
luckily, a good actor in certain social settings. I am afraid of the evil that
I will encounter and the spiritual attacks that my team and I will be subject
to.
3. I'm going to get lonely and homesick. No
mom or dad. No Toronto, or Canada for that matter. No comfortable blankie to
sleep with. No lifelong friends accessible a call or a text away when I feel
discouraged.
Allow me to refute myself biblically.
1. Psalm 23:2 He leads me beside still
waters. Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of
grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothes?" (emphases added)
Worrying, when understanding it as its most
fundamental level is a sin. When a believer truly worries, they are saying
"Almighty God! You have created the heavens and the earth. You have weaved
this gargantuan, cosmic tapestry filled with celestial beauty and yet we small
insignificant creatures are the object of your love. You have designed
everything so that we may perfectly enjoy your creation. You have designed
animals and plants and ecosystems and our own bodies to work amazingly and
intricately and 'invisibly'. You have done all these things and they are good.
But this thing, this object of my worry? I don't think you have thought about
this before and therefore I can't trust fully in you in this. I don't believe
that "all things work together for good, for those who are called
according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) I don't believe that Jesus has
"rule and authority" or "power and dominion" (Ephesians
1:21) over all things. I don't have faith that you, Almighty God, are good and
are sovereign. Do not worry.
"Nothing in my hands I bring// simply
to the cross I cling"
2. A search of the term "do not be
afraid" on BibleGateway yields 81 results. And that's only of the exact
term "do not be afraid", without counting all the other passages to
take heart, or to have courage. I heard today that the most frequently "do
not" found in the Bible is "do not be afraid". Hebrews 13:6
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my
helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” John 16:33 “I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you
will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can
be against us? Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (emphases added)
How can a child of God be afraid? When you
step on the ground, do you doubt for a second that it will not hold you up?
When you are a child, when your father tells you that everything will be
alright, everything will be alright. Philipians
1:6 he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus. Who began this? Jesus, who is "the founder and
perfecter of our faith". Almighty God himself will preserve those who
truly believe in him till the very end. Without doubt, without question. The
purpose of God's protection is NOT so that he will protect us against evil to
live comfortable lives.
Romans 5:3-5 Not only that, but we rejoice
in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to
shame,
God's promise to preserve those who believe
is so that they will be able to endure and be able to push forward, inch by
inch to further the Kingdom. Not so they will never experience hardship.
3. Hebrews 13:5 ...for he has said, “I will
never leave you nor forsake you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you. " Ephesians 6:18 ...To that end keep
alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (emphases
added)
My fellow brothers and sisters, we are
never truly alone. We are adopted children of the Almighty God, this status
sealed by grace through faith in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. We have
profound access to God through prayer and through reading his Word.
Even further, I know that I am not alone.
The brothers and sisters that I am so blessed to have are praying and
interceding on my behalf. What loneliness have I to fear? What anything have I
to fear?
I hope that you, reader, will pray for me
for the next month and half. I pray that you will reflect on whatever mission
field God has made accessible to you and be faithful to it. Sow the seeds of
the gospel and pray it lands on good soil. I pray that you will embody this
verse as your life's calling:
1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free from all, I have made
myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
I hope to come back alive with many stories to tell. Please partner with me in prayer.
- Tristan
testing testing
ReplyDelete