The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve
(Matthew 20:28)
Go into all the world and preach the gospel
(Mark 15:15)
MissionsJuly 2014
Before They Were Born
(A couple of lessons from mission trips)
Can you imagine telling your young child that the day before he was born, God brought people from the other side of the world to be at your church, and they prayed for him, Samuel, and gave a small love offering which was enough for a down payment for a C–section that brought him safely into your family after you (his mom) and his dad had prayed for him for five years.
Or…can you imagine telling this story to your young child in Ecuador. “One day, when you were nine months pregnant expecting him and in the first day of your labor that God brought an experienced nurse and her five nursing students (with a translator) to your tiny house and gave you bottled water to drink and exercises to do that would help your baby move into the correct position so he could be safely born without need of a very costly C–section.”
I can only imagine that child feeling valued and loved by God even when life gets hard. I think that child would never tire of hearing that story nor the mom tire of telling it. Now imagine our young children as we tell them how they were so special to God that even before they were born that God sent His very own much loved son to take their place and die for their sins so that they could be born into His family. And that He wrote their very names in His Book long before they were born for He knew they would be His.
It should be a story that would make them certain they are special and of great value no matter what circumstances, and should be a story they/we never tire of hearing or repeating. What value we have in the eyes of God!
Sadly, however, we somehow try to find our personal value in the attributes that the world around us has declared as valuable: in looks, abilities, successes, etc. God sees and declared our value long before we were born.
Oh, that we could grasp that Truth and input it to our children. The value of that truth is the reason the enemy and voices of this world try to attack and misplace that value. That in itself must show us the importance of our battle for this life-altering victory for ourselves and our children.and approval and confidence, and they want a husband like him.
A Common Need Worldwide
Finally, after traveling across three continents this past twelve months, I have been impacted again with the huge importance, in any land and in any language, of self–worth.
Similar struggles seem to attach themselves to us all with only minor differences of circumstances. But the essence of the problem remains the same. There are bullies, abusers, prejudice, self-doubts, fears, etc. that can eat into the very heart of our lives with our only defense being that of recognizing that we have innate worth — not because of our accomplishments or appearances or wealth or gender — but solely and completely in the fact that the God of all heaven and earth created us and declared that in His eyes we are worth His sending His precious Son to die for us.
Stop and think again on that Truth. You, with your weight struggles, or fears of public speaking, or addictions, or whatever your worst nightmare is, YOU are declared to be of great value to the only true God.
If we impart nothing more to our children than this one great truth, we will have given them the world. But, how can we give it if we don’t realize it ourselves?! The beginning of the Truth is so simple that even a very young child can comprehend it, yet the depths of walking into the completeness of this truth and overcoming the world’s voices in our ears is a lifelong quest that deserves our very best efforts with the hope and promise set before us: And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)