At the time that I write this blog post, our team and I just arrived in our ministry destination of Odessa, Ukraine. At the time that I post this (some time after writing the initial draft), it will be just a week or two after leaving Kosovo and starting this new chapter on the World Race.
I am reflecting on my time in Kosovo while also moving forward into what this month has to offer. One of the nights that I was praying on the balcony in Pristina, I remembered a famous quote: “The Show Must Go On”. After running this through my mind, I realized that the quote should read: “The Show Cannot Go On”. Why is this? Because when challenged with hard situations in life and in our walks with God- things cannot go the way they were. It’s not a matter of just picking up were we left off as if nothing happened. Growth happens when being willing to make changes and adjustments; while diving deeper into what is going on beneath the surface. And in this case, the “show” is way more than the stage or the act- its living real life on mission with eternal impact and the heavenly realms being the audience.
One of the most difficult yet most important journeys that God has taken me through over the past couple of years is the process of breaking away from Americanized Christianity and embracing the faith by the Bible. There are three areas that I wanted to touch on that really rocked me while on the World Race so far (especially in Kosovo)- Faith & Circumstances, Consumerism, and Suffering. The third point, suffering, will be saved for the next blog post.
I.. Faith and Circumstances
While we were quarantined in Romania, we played a popular worship song called “Jireh” by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. One of the lyrics reads: “And I will be content – in every Circumstance”. The song then talks about how God is always and forever enough. Yet deep down, I know that it is so easy to sing this ( https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/elevationworship/jireh.html ) and not comprehend the magnitude of what it’s meaning. Basically, it says that no matter what the circumstances, I will always be content with God and that He is enough. This sentiment is easily conveyed in Philippians 4: 4-13- where Paul talks about his contentedness and peace despite being in prison when he wrote the letter. A spiritually mature faith is one that is willing to seek, trust, and obey God despite difficult circumstances. The messiness of last month and the recent pandemic (see blog posts https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/god-through-the-pandemic and https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/when-the-world-race-gets-messy ) led me to sharing with my team that God is calling me higher to embracing a faith that is not influenced by the circumstances. Yet much of popular culture in the US revolves around a “me centered” mindset of pleasing oneself and improving your circumstances. The “Prosperity Gospel” and transactional faith thinking have had a massive influence in the American church. During debrief, WR coach Chris Huffman shared that you become what your prayer life is. This really challenged me- as I seek to reorient my prayers towards the Lord and intercession (praying on other peoples’ behalf) instead of my own circumstances. And the posture is also this- instead of praying for a change of circumstances; praying what God may be teaching me (or ministry opportunities to take) in the midst of these circumstances. Conclusion: becoming an adaptable missionary ready for any situation that might happen.
II.. Consumerism
Consumerist culture is all around us- especially in the States. Basically, consumerists aim to buy and do stuff that helps / benefits themselves- often without much intention of giving back in some way. In the long run, this mindset turns us into “takers” instead of “givers” (which is what the Bible commanded us to model). Unfortunately, the Church is not immune, and we can be caught up in the habits of “consume, consume, consume” if we are not careful. In Kosovo, I read “Letters to the Church” by Francis Chan and “The Sacred Search” by Gary Thomas. Letters to the Church is a series of chapters challenging the church to follow the pattern set in the Bible- and letting go of man-made traditions along the way. One scene that stands out to me is Francis talking about people going to church for music, childcare programs, elaborate worship, etc. He highlights that in opposition to this, groups in South Asia (where persecution is rampant) crowd in people’s homes to pray and study the Word without many of the things that are present in modern churches. He further stated that if we just had a Bible and communion elements- could we do church? Yet this shifts the perspective of church towards caring for others (like in Acts 2: 42-47) and pressing closer to God instead of a means to “self benefit”. Meanwhile, Thomas mentions in his book that one of the worst ways to start or lead a marriage is to go into it with a “taker” mindset. He further highlights that this mindset of “take take take” usually wrecks havoc in a marriage long term. Yet as I look deeper into this- it requires one to rewire mental thinking from a status of “taking” and “consuming” to a state of “giving” and “serving”. Serving without the expectation of something happening in return flies in the face of today’s consumerist culture- yet it is something that the ancient Apostles and Christians all around the world today go out of their way to do. As I write this, I see God breaking me out of the consumerist way of thinking and instead towards a mentality of service and giving to others. Yet I realize that I cannot do this on my own- but by the Holy Spirit that guides me. Conclusion: a missionary who lives by a Biblical mindset of giving and serving- standing in sharp contrast to the modern cultural forces at work.
Thank you again for praying over us as we minister and get established in Ukraine. The next part of this blog, about Godly suffering, is going to come out shortly!
Acts 2: 42-47: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
