Saying "yes."

In the midst of the business of the last two weeks, there has been one thing in particular that I wanted to share. I’ll worry about catching you up to date on family news and posting more pictures of Isabella later (sorry grandparents : ).

For the last several days, I’ve been enjoying the privilege of coordinating a team of Kiwis (people from New Zealand) who just arrived for a short-term missions project here with CDA and am getting to play translator, tour guide, and logistics coordinator for them. So far it’s been a lot of work and a lot of fun. The following thoughts sprang out of a conversation I had with them.

Since we all began our Christian lives, it has all been about saying “yes.” From that first moment He knocked and we answered, timidly in tears, or with laughter and joy, we all had to say “yes.” “Yes I accept you into my heart. Yes I believe in Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation. Yes.”

In some ways, not much has changed since then. My life and your life in Christ continue to be about saying “yes.” As we encounter various situations, choices, decisions etc. we all always have the option of saying, “yes lord, in faith I will do the right thing.” Not always because we feel like it, or because it sounds fun or exciting, sometimes it sounds downright horrid, but all those little “yes’s” piled up are what the Christian life is all about.

One of the things that Jessie and I have struggled with as we made the decision to move to Colombia to work with CDA is the term “missionary.” I often feel like it is used in an, “Oh he must be some sort of super-Christian to go do that work” sort of way and consequently, I’ve been much happier to tell people that I’m going to work in Colombia, or even volunteer in Colombia - anything but be a missionary.

What I want all of you to know is that we are exactly like you. Every morning, Jessie and wake up, (or are woken up as is wont to happen these days) and we are faced with that same old choice again and again and again. Will I say yes to the Lord’s voice? Will I spend time in His word, will I choose to resist the devil and temptation, will I say yes to selflessness, meekness, kindness, gentleness, love and all the host of other choices I will be faced with throughout the day? You see, us moving to Colombia wasn’t about Jessie and I having some greater spirituality, or some über-special honor from God. It was a decision to say “yes” when God said “go.” There are some days, or at least parts of days when I don’t say “yes.” When I choose to do things my way, in my strength, for me and I say, “no” when God asks me to do the right thing. Thankfully we serve a patient Lord and that he will be faithful till the day of Christ Jesus to complete all the things he wants out of me – and you.

You don’t have to move to Colombia and be a missionary to be a good Christian and moving to Colombia certainly doesn’t make you a good Christian. It’s a willingness to be available for whatever request God asks of you.

My prayer for you, and I sure hope that your prayer for me is that we will both have the strength, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to say, “yes” to all those little and big choices. It doesn’t really matter what the question is, our answers are always more important. And today is very much like that first day – Christ coming along side you and waiting for you to answer.