Well here we are FINALLY. After months of preparing Thailand is literally one day away.
Something God has been teaching me over the last month or so is that I am incapable.
It's a thought that I shared with my team on facebook a week or so before we even met, and a truth worth repeating here. So here we go.
The truth is: We are not adequate or capable to do anything on our own. It's in our weakness that Christ is most glorified. We aren't capable of "saving" these girls. But God is! His power, not ours.
My dad recently said to me: "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called" It's so true.
In Bloomington, IL, my home town, I minister to our large Indian community. I am not equipped to change the heart of a Hindu towards Jesus alone. What do I know? But God is equipping me and has done his thing despite my weakness to share the Good News.
Anytime we think we deserve anything or can do things in our own strength, we are wrong and taking the glory from God who is the giver of everything we have.
In my own time with God, one of the books I recently went through is Colossians. Just Paul's stinkin intro rocked my face off: Colossians 1:10-14, honing in on verse 12: the word "qualified"
"…giving thanks to the father who who has [qualified] you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light…"
You see, Jesus has [qualified] us for a relationship w/ God.
And the truth is that I am NOT qualified. (Romans 3:10,11,23)
And how does it feel to be unqualified in different areas of our lives?: (job, ministry, education, social issues, relationships, etc). It sucks!
But the truth is while we are STILL sinners, Jesus made us qualified!!
WHAT THE HECK?!
We weren't and now we are.
And then I thought about how it goes on to say: "he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and given us an inheritance with the children of light."
I did/do this to myself (choose to sin). So why does it say "rescue" (vs.13) if I put myself here…unqualified to have a relationship with God?
In relation to the nature of the work we will be taking part in…many girls are forced into prostitution. But around the world some have chosen it too (although out of desperation in many cases).
YET, just like me, Jesus has RESCUED even when we chose this life!!! And QUALIFIED us to know God and be with him forever.
It's incredible. It's the gospel.
Praise the Lord!
