From Here to There

We have just recently come to the realization that we are a bit "strange" (some could say "eccentric" in my case.)  One reason behind this realization is the undeniable fact that Janet and I are heading for the mission field at the time when many mission workers our ages are returning and even "retiring."  In a way, it is like trying to enter a theater at the end of the movie as the crowds are hurrying through the exits.  Where is the sense to it?

The "sense" is that this was God's idea.  He kindly grabbed our attention to the fact that we were close to wasting our lives. 

We had so far done mostly everything "right" as we glided towards retirement age.  We had good jobs, a nice house in a “good” neighborhood, some money in the bank, modest, but healthy retirement resources, tons of "stuff," and good health.  Much like the rich young man in the parables of Jesus (Matthew 19: 16--22, Mark 10: 17--22, Luke 18: 18--25), we lacked one thing--we did not value God supreme above everything else.

Now we do.  We know that there is nothing that even comes close to being as important as God--not money, not any of our possessions, not our big, old home, not our friends, and not even our family.  When Christ told us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind it was not a suggestion.  Countless followers of Christ have marked this as true by payment with their lives.  To value God less than this is to count Him worth-less.

We're not religious nut jobs or blind followers of a nice fairytale.  Like uncountable others we have encountered the eternal God of the Bible through His Son Jesus Christ.  He has been and continues to be lovingly relentless in changing our hearts and minds and thusly our lives.  We are grossly imperfect creatures who struggle daily with our sin as we try to honor God in what we think, say, and do.  God is the source of our highest pleasure.  Theologian John Piper says it best, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."

We are going on mission to Africa when we should be thinking of retirement not because we are nice people or altruistic or anything like that.  We are doing the only thing that is possible for us to do.  We are no better than anyone else.  As someone whose name I have long forgotten has said, "We are beggars who want to show other beggars where we have found good Bread."