global

I spend my weekdays with Zambians in poverty, also with Zambians who have plenty. I enjoy weekends with friends from Texas, South Carolina, Connecticut, the UK and Kenya. I go to a church lead by Zimbabweans, filled with Americans, Zambians, South Africans, and there's bound to be more represented there as well. I patron businesses run by men of Middle Eastern descent. It really is incredible to take a step back to see so many countries represented in this third world one.

Which gets my mind wandering. How can I believe and live like faith is only about me, my fears, my sin, my burdens, my joys, my plans, and my desires? How can I limit faith in Jesus to a few devotional books, a cute journal, fancy pens, and a few short minutes per day? How have I walked 22 years of my life living like Christianity is inward? This world is huge.

These questions stated above may sound extreme, ridiculous, or even outrageous to be put in such terms. But for me, I believe there's so much truth in them and in this idea of cultural Christianity. I'm no expert, I'm just one person believes in the Bible for Truth, who sees Jesus' children as His witnesses and testimony to His truth, and whose life has been forever changed by Truth and redemption of Jesus. And from what I've seen and experienced over the last 2 months of living here in Zambia surrounded by and forming relationships with so many different types of people, something is off.

God's church is global. You may be thinking "duh." I've thought that too. I've thought that the one-Sunday-a-year devotion to learning about the nations and God's work there was enough.

Why? Why limit God's Kingdom? Why put bounds on something that's infinite, not just global, but eternal? Why segment humanity into groupings when we're all after One heart, in search of One hope and Savior for life's significance, given each day by the One who created it?

My pastor here always says, "Faith is personal; it's not private."

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm done with faith being a private, self-fulfilling focus on personal peace and comfort, rather than a journey of risk, beauty, redemption, hope, selflessness, a journey of Jesus. I don't earn more of His love through this shift in focus; His grace covers my sin regardless of what I do from the sacrifice He made on the cross. But His love is free to pour through me to His children of the world when I ask His Spirit to help me tear down these walls of "typical faith" to open my heart wide to what He's created us for.

After all, He's the One who said the harvest isn't over. Not even close. "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

Greater works than these? I don't think that can happen when my focus is completely turned inward to fulfilling my desires and wrestling God over my plans. So even though I return to America in just 10 short days, I pray for a global heart. A heart after my Father's. There's great joy in getting lost in His heart, in living the lives we're created to live.