Jesus said there was a cost to following Him,He said there would be a cost in order for us to see the Kingdom of God established on earth but how far will that cost take us,how much will it require of us?
Recently I have been coming to grips with the reality of this truth,it will cost me something and there is no such thing as too far or too much when it comes to serving God. After all if Jesus is our standard we should be willing to follow God unto death,shouldn't we? Its hard to hear but that is the reality of our faith.
I was reading the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers and as I read this truly captivating story there was something that unsettled me to the core.It was one of her characters,a Jewish girl converted to Christianity,there was something almost offensive about her,and it was simply this...in the midst of her persecution she loved,she never spoke a harsh word to those who enslaved and abused her,she loved her enemies..more than she loved herself and this love cost her her life.
It was offensive because deep deep deep somewhere inside of me there is a belief that "I have a right to be comfortable" and this girl gave up all of her comforts for the sake of glorifying God.
I have been doing missions for about a year and a half now and I enjoy it,I really do.But it has cost me something,and I don't say this out of self pity or to make myself look good so just bare with me.I have left behind whatever potential job my university degree could have gotten me,I have left behind my family my friends ..a sacrifice that brings me to tears on many a day,my culture...a warm climate ( possibly one of the greatest sacrifices),I laid down my rights to dress certain way, to eat a certain way etc etc Some days I don't feel like myself at all,who I have become is so foreign to who I used to be. But I die to self that Christ may be alive me.
God will never force me to do anything,He will not force me to continue in missions but He will present me with the truth and with the potential...He has opened my eyes to the fields that are ripe for harvesting but now I'm wondering .. how far will I go to see those fields harvested.I am coming to the end ( two and a half months left) of my time here in South Africa and I miss home,I miss all that home represents: my independence,security,provision,I miss my family.
The song below is a song I have sung passionately on countless occasions,but if this is the cry of my heart there is one question "how much am I willing to give to see these lyrics become a reality,how much am I willing to surrender so that 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven'
Because of who He is,whatever God asks me to forsake in the next couple months and years it can never be too much.
You said, Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need
You said, Pray and I'll hear from heaven
And I'll heal your land
You said Your glory will fill the earth
Oh, Like water the seas
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near
You said, Ask and I'll give the nations to you
O Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us
O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we are asking for the nations
Recently I have been coming to grips with the reality of this truth,it will cost me something and there is no such thing as too far or too much when it comes to serving God. After all if Jesus is our standard we should be willing to follow God unto death,shouldn't we? Its hard to hear but that is the reality of our faith.
I was reading the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers and as I read this truly captivating story there was something that unsettled me to the core.It was one of her characters,a Jewish girl converted to Christianity,there was something almost offensive about her,and it was simply this...in the midst of her persecution she loved,she never spoke a harsh word to those who enslaved and abused her,she loved her enemies..more than she loved herself and this love cost her her life.
It was offensive because deep deep deep somewhere inside of me there is a belief that "I have a right to be comfortable" and this girl gave up all of her comforts for the sake of glorifying God.I have been doing missions for about a year and a half now and I enjoy it,I really do.But it has cost me something,and I don't say this out of self pity or to make myself look good so just bare with me.I have left behind whatever potential job my university degree could have gotten me,I have left behind my family my friends ..a sacrifice that brings me to tears on many a day,my culture...a warm climate ( possibly one of the greatest sacrifices),I laid down my rights to dress certain way, to eat a certain way etc etc Some days I don't feel like myself at all,who I have become is so foreign to who I used to be. But I die to self that Christ may be alive me.
God will never force me to do anything,He will not force me to continue in missions but He will present me with the truth and with the potential...He has opened my eyes to the fields that are ripe for harvesting but now I'm wondering .. how far will I go to see those fields harvested.I am coming to the end ( two and a half months left) of my time here in South Africa and I miss home,I miss all that home represents: my independence,security,provision,I miss my family.
The song below is a song I have sung passionately on countless occasions,but if this is the cry of my heart there is one question "how much am I willing to give to see these lyrics become a reality,how much am I willing to surrender so that 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven'
Because of who He is,whatever God asks me to forsake in the next couple months and years it can never be too much.
You said, Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need
You said, Pray and I'll hear from heaven
And I'll heal your land
You said Your glory will fill the earth
Oh, Like water the seas
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near
You said, Ask and I'll give the nations to you
O Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us
O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we ask for the nations
O Lord, we are asking for the nations
