In 2012 I had the opportunity to go on a weeklong mission’s trip to Panama City, Florida. During this short week I was set on fire. An excitement for God was born and changed the way I viewed my walk. There was a sense of fulfillment and community that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was during this week that I experienced God in a different way. I went on this mission’s trip for more of God and again, I am going on the World Race to experience MORE.
Have you ever felt this pestering feeling that there is more? More to life, more to experience, more to your walk with Christ? I have been in this place for a very long time. Its like the more I experience God, the deeper I want to go! There are many believers who are satisfied with just being saved, with just making it in, but I have seen and experienced far too much to want to stop there. There’s MORE! More to this journey, purpose to fulfill, promises to walk out. God is so vast, so big, so mysterious that I want to spend my lifetime getting to know Him better, learning about the intricate and intimate parts of Him that I will never experience without giving Him my “yes.”
I’ve learned, however, that this COSTS. Seeking to go deeper WILL cost you something. These costs will vary based on the purpose God has for you to fulfil, the promises He has made, and the sphere of influence He has called you too. For me, going deeper required me to live a sacrificial life, a life that has continuously challenged my heart and tested my willingness to lay down things that I loved for God’s will. Isn’t this what the mission field is all about? Leading a sacrificial life, holding loosely to possessions to make room for God. In this process I have laid down relationships/friendships, promising careers, higher education opportunities; I’ve suffered seasons of loneliness, skepticism, and uncertainty all in obedience to God’s voice. This resulted in many tears, frustrations, and at times anger. The things I laid down were dear to me, things I desired, things I gave my time, mind, creativity, and hours of sleep to. There were moments that I felt confused, hurt, empty, unfulfilled, and lonely after acting in obedience. If I’m honest, I still deal with these feelings at times today. Although I have experienced these emotions, I have also experienced what it feels like to be a friend of God; I’ve experienced that His peace really does surpass understanding, that His faithfulness is sure, that He really is a GOOD Father. And I’ve found that if my faith and allegiance to Him can’t be tested, then it is a faith and allegiance that that can’t be trusted.
After all of these sacrifices, my purpose has yet to be revealed. I still have not found complete fulfillment as I walk out my life, but I am confident that I am on the right track. Truthfully, I’m too far into this thing to turn back now. It would be foolish of me to walk away, to ignore His instruction, which is ultimately a beckoning for me to be closer to Him, just as I’ve asked. When He called me to the World race mission’s trip, He did so by drawing my heart to the opportunity. He used a series of random conversations, memories, and confirmation in prayer to light a hope for fulfillment that I had loss. Again, my answer was “yes.” After my yes things seemed to line up quickly, the opportunity began to look attainable, and an excitement that I once had was awakened. My prayer is that during this trip He reveals my purpose, that I may experience the fulfillment that awaits me, and that I will finally understand it all. Until then, I will continue to say yes, to chose Him every time, and I look forward to experiencing MORE of God. I know this trip will show me things that I didn’t know were there, both good and bad, but I’m up for the challenge. Let’s see what God will do.
