Lessons

God is awesome for many reasons. I love how he teaches me things and brings me through seasons where he allows me to be his student. The following paragraphs address a few of the lessons I feel like the Lord has been teaching me throughout my time in India. Enjoy!

1. Expectations

                When
embarking on this two month journey, I would have denied the fact that I had
expectations for what our time in India would look like. I would have told you
that whatever happened was cool with me. I may have used phrases like “Oh ya, I
receive whatever God has for me in India� or perhaps “I don’t really like schedules
so I’m fine for just any kind of spontaneous ministry�.

These past six weeks I’ve learned
that I have expectations. In fact, I had a lot of them. Some of them were based
on what was communicated to us while others were purely things I had come up
with on my own. You see, the thing with expectations is that they must be based
on the truth of God’s Word. If they aren’t, you find yourself frustrated at the way
things pan out. I never thought that I was that kind of person, but I’ve seen
through having set expectations it can turn into a desire to control your
surroundings.

Here in India, being on time or
following through with plans is a bit of a foreign concept. Although it can be
discouraging at times, it has helped me process through the fact that I
subconsciously feel entitled to do something when I have been told that it is
what will be done. It’s a very American concept. You get what you work for and
you are entitled to it. It sounds fair, right? Being in India and doing very little
of what I thought we would be doing has brought me to a place where I better
know how to purely handle situations where I feel entitled to something. I can’t
imagine that Jesus was a man of entitlement.

2. Rejoicing

                “This
is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.� I’ve
heard this verse more times than I can count. But, the Lord has spoken
something new and refreshing to me through it in this past week.

                This very
day, the Lord CHOSE to wake me up. This very day I can choose to use words that
bring healing. Rejoicing in the day, no matter how it goes, is not so much
about the events that happen but rather about the heart that is prepared to
take on the events of the day. It’s about making a heart choice to love and
take advantage of another day that the Lord has given you breath.

3. The Exchange

                I’m
always appalled at the Israelites when I read through Exodus. Why would you
exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like men and animals?
Having tasted and seen the goodness of God freeing you from the Egyptians, how
could you so easily forget and turn to idols to quench your thirst? It makes no
sense. They experienced the Lord in such a tangible way, how could one desire
anything else?

Usually when I find myself
approaching scripture with such pride, I know something must be up. The Lord is
about to teach me a lesson. And that he has. All throughout scripture we see
how often the idea of having no idols before the Lord is addressed. It’s a pretty
big deal. God even tested Abraham with his own son to make sure Abraham hadn’t begun
to love the gift more than the giver. And Isaac wasn’t even a bad thing! I’ve
thought about these concepts often. Since I’ve been in India, the Lord has
asked me where I have exchanged the Gospel for idols. Being here, it’s got me reevaluating
to see if all my fountains really are in Him. Personally, relying on
friendships for affirmation or even others perception of how well I represent
the gospel tend to creep in and set themselves up as idols. How could I forget the
God that has brought ME out of the desert and into an intimate relationship
with himself? God is good.  

4. Living Missionally

                I’ve
done the door to door thing in the States. It’s not my favorite not so much
because it can be awkward, but rather because our generation connects
predominantly in such a relational way.

                While
being here in India, I feel that my fire and passion for evangelism has been reignited.
Instead of making the excuse that door to door isn’t my thing, my heart should be
to live missionally and be ever so intentional about seeking out those who don’t
know the Lord. Sure, I have non- Christian friends that I may talk to Jesus
about, but to view the Gospel with such passion knowing that it is the
salvation and gift of life for those who believe should push me to do far more
than bring up Jesus when I feel comfortable.

See ya!