My Dad wrote me a letter before my trip for me to read on the plane. Little did I know, his wisdom has turned out to be one of the greatest lessons I have learned on this trip:
“Remember that to feed a hungry person or give water to a thirsty person, to clothe a naked person or give shelter to a homeless person-only to have them die and go to a Christ-less eternity-is ultimately tragic. Do what you can to meet their practical needs, but it is most important that they see Jesus in all that you do and say-so they might have an opportunity to respond to the gospel and become His children.”
I have a passion for the poor. I love to feed people, to see their material needs met. When I would think of going to Africa, I would see myself in the middle of the slums-feeding the starving and clothing the naked. This has not been the purpose of our trip. Our ministry consists of going door to door sharing the gospel, praying over the sick in the hospital, playing with the hundreds of kids in schools and orphanages–all of which are part of the Lord’s plan to portray His love to His children.
There are times on this trip where I have been overwhelmed with frustration because I am not in the place where I thrive the greatest. Although my desire to aid individuals in a practical way stems from the love of Jesus, I have become distracted by my desire to see the affects that my serving has on lives. It is difficult for me to lack immediate results of helping people, but instead to have faith that the Lord with stir in the hearts of people through the words He speaks through me. In the midst of this challenge, I have realized that I am right where the Lord wants me, sharing His Word and love to every person I meet, and that has strengthened my ability to serve people. It may not be in a material way that I can see, but people in Africa are not just starving of food–they are starving of Jesus Christ, which is of much greater importance and is why I chose to come to Africa in the first place. I have had to redefine my view of starvation, and have come to learn that my Dad’s words of encouragement that I read at the beginning of this trip hold so much truth: Jesus has indeed commanded each one of us to take care of the poor, to “go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven..” (Matthew 19:21), but the point of serving people is solely to portray Christ’s love and share the gospel, whether you are literally feeding a starving child or having a conversation with a wealthy individual–our purpose is to be Jesus’ hands and feet in a world that is so lost and is searching for a Savior.
Colossians 3:23&24
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
