1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by
some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person
back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same
temptation yourself. 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey
the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help
someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the
satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself
to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7 Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always
harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own
sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But
those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from
the Spirit. 9 So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the
right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. 10
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to
everyone-especially to those in the family of faith.
*The first time I read this passage I felt it soaking into my life like a sponge in water. It coincides with everything I'm currently involved in. Radical awakenings need to happen in every aspect of my living right now.
First off, working in a "Christian zone" has been quite the experience. It has never been the chocolate covered job I expected and it most certainly hasn't provided the spiritual food I've been seeking. It's quite ironic how I finally understand what's holding me back from these things after almost 9 months of working there. But having just one week left is not going to hold me back from applying this scripture to this area of my life. The store is supposed to be a light for all who enter. We are able to aid in the spiritual journeys of the customers by providing them with the right resources or even just an ear to listen. This is a truly gratifying role, however, before we attempt to help carry the burdens of others to Christ, we ourselves have lay everything at the foot of the cross. I have been so selfish, believing that I could better overcome the stresses in my life than God could. My heart has never been fully in this job because of the weight on my shoulders. Now that it has been removed by Christ, it is time to help my brothers and sisters in the Lord do the same.
This leads to the "outer bubble" portion of my life. My second job is in a completely secular environment. I have always thought of it as such an amazing opportunity to reflect Jesus to the people who have never had a good taste of him. People have asked me questions since day one and I thrived to answer them. I felt as if I was giving my peers hope and watering my own garden of God at the same time. I don't doubt that some seeds have been planted in that place, but reading over this passage makes me realize that the seeds are not as deep as they could be. After Christians give their burdens to God it is so much easier to lead the unbelievers home. That is the second realization I came to. First we bring our faults to Christ ourselves, then we encourage the family of God to do the same, and lastly, we allow the love of Jesus to penetrate through our souls and into our daily lives in hopes that the blind will see.
It is no mystery how this all leads up to Africa and the trip I will be taking there in just over a month. I am going to serve. I am going with a hope that we reap the harvest of blessing.
It is so good to do good. All in Christs name.
Apart from a slight breeze, I find the wind to be at peace; causing goose bumps to appear every so often, and only as if to remind me of its existence. It's not enough to keep my swing in motion so I continually pump my legs back and forth allowing my eyes to gaze beyond the buildings and towards the hazy mountains of Quito. I notice the shadows of the trees looking their longest and I'm forced to accept my departure in just a few hours. These would be my last minutes spent in the country of Ecuador, a place I had come to feel a sense of love and devotion for. As I ponder all that was accomplished during our stay here, I feel that the team's greatest impact was on the hearts of the Ecuadorians. It wasn't the exhausting construction work or the overwhelming task of feeding seniors that showed God's love, but it was the attitudes with which we worked that reflected it. By viewing our work as a privilege and not a chore, perhaps the people of the Quito were able to understand a side to servant hood that they had never seen before. I know they would beg to differ, but I think that our team, or at least me personally, gained more from the Ecuadorians than they did from us. How incredible it is to witness an authentic joy from the church after planting just a small garden with less variety than a low carb diet. Being reminded of their appreciation is almost enough to keep the swing moving and give my legs a rest. This is the true beauty of creation; God's people. I mean, how boring would it be if we all spoke English and ate KFC every night for dinner. It's because of our cultural differences that we are able to learn and value one another, or more importantly, value God's masterpiece. I feel so blessed to have been exposed to the Spanish culture; even something as little as their schedule or lack there of, has affected my life greatly. This is what it's all about. When Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt 28:19) he meant do just that. Spread his love to your next door neighbor, to your coworker who dreads going home at the end of the day, to the child in Germany who has never been truly loved by his parents. We are to share the thrill of knowing the Lord to everyone and ensure that the body of Christ is fully equipped. When obeying the great commission we are not only training others to be disciples, but we ourselves are being educated in what it means to be a stronger disciple and soldier in Christ's army. As God reveals these revelations to me in this moment I make a promise to myself to forever change the way I look at outreach and savor every opportunity that he places in my path.