These two speakers had attended Hope college with a potential focus on missionary work, met each other, fell in love and so began the story of their lives with Jesus at the center.
A simple school teacher and a surgeon led lives of faith in action across the world in a variety of third world countries for over 40 years.
Sacrifice was a topic that came up throughout the discussion and his responses were always simply put.
Him and his wife did not sacrifice anything in their lives that they didn't feel was necessary to have.
Giving up the luxuries of living in America making the 'big bucks' as a surgeon wasn't really a consideration for this man. Using his skills and talents to change and heal the needs of those who were broken stood as a first priority in front of leading a comfortable life with all of the things that Americans convince themselves we "need".
Pointing to the ways and values of our self-obsessed, materialistic culture he asked us, "What here will be important to you in five or ten years?"
The answer to this is nothing. Not the clothes we wear, the new TV we bought, the brand of food we buy, the makeup we use, the trends we keep up with, the shows we watch, the media hookups/breakups/divorces/flings...
None of it will matter standing at the end of your life as you look back over your shoulder at the past and the life you led in the rear-view....
The end to their talk?
"We received far more in return than we ever gave away..."
The lives these two Christ followers led inspires me.
A life devoted to genuinely serving the needs of others while administering the love of Christ is something I aspire to lead one day in some way.
My question is this:
Why do we keep turning the spotlight back onto ourselves when God is the center of our stories and we are merely pulling the behind the scenes work for His glory?
The world has enough self-centered and self-serving people in this world without you and me following suit to jump off the same bridge as so many others.
Three things this world needs more than ever are abundant love, passion and devotion. Nothing in this world will ever change unless people start living...
A verse that was highlighted was 1 Timothy 1:12 of living like the true privilege it truly to know Christ and to have Him desire our services.
To have Him deem us worthy to be His hands and feet.
.
As 1 Timothy 1:12 says, "..he has judged me faithful, appointing me to his service..."
We are worthy because God tells us we are. In our brokenness, He is made strong. In our brokenness, He still desires to use our lives to tell His story and for us to influence those around us to see His beautiful face.
What a privilege.
To have the darkness lifted off of a life of selfish ambition to find the true Light.
To serve something far beyond yourself by spreading the fire of Christ's love.
To have our lives revolve around the love that holds us together.
To have Jesus be the main character in our lives.
To know and to serve Him with every piece of our broken spirits and to have Him accept us with open arms.
Lord, thank you for deeming us worthy of spreading Your love in our hearts to others. It is an honor to live a life honoring You in everything that I do and will do with the rest of my life. I have no idea where I would be wandering in the darkness without Your truth to awaken my heart. You have appointed me into your service and I pray every Christ follower will remember the magnitude of that statement. Knowing You means understanding the grand magnitude of who You and the power You carry to change a broken world. Help us to see we are Yours to use every day we breathe. In Jesus' name, Amen.
"...You’re all that satisfies, to know You is to want to know You more, to know You is to want to know You more..."
-Casting Crowns
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