Stand | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Stand | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sharon Nickerson
10/25/06
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

Stand
I wanted to be a missionary for God in a foreign land. It sounded glamorous. The prestige,
the popularity, the souls that would be led to Christ because of my sacrifice! I thought of
escaping the greediness of the American culture; escaping the fleshly temptations of lust
and gluttony that pervade our society. Yeah. I wanted to be a missionary.

Then I saw the documentary, "Beyond the Gates of Splendor". Jim and Elisabeth Elliot.
Nate Saint and three other Godly men. The Waodani tribe. Machetes and spears.

Okay. Maybe I don't need to go to a foreign land to be a missionary. After all, Jim said
he was called. I may not have been; my "want" was self-centered (there's a surprise).

I don't know if Jim and the others wanted to die so young, although I believe they were
willing. This brings me to a "heavy revy". If I'm not willing to die physically for Christ, will
I ever get beyond my "flesh" at this point in my walk with God? This is a tough threshold to cross.

When I was a babe in Christ, all things were new and wonderful. Faith came easy and
condemnation was no longer a vocabulary word. Farther down the road, some guilt said
"hello", which brought about quick repentance. Still singing God's praises and sharing
hope, the hard times came. Tough lessons. Some bitterness crept in. Doors wouldn't open.
Unforgiveness and carnality were common concepts in my mind. A fruitless, barren
wasteland.

Now my soul screams for God. It aches. It desires willingness to conform to His will.

I was called to be more. Called to be free. Called to bear fruit, to be a missionary.

So I'm asking God for more. More of Him, less of me. I'm asking Him for courage, to be more
than a conqueror, instead of more than conquered. I'm asking for the heart of a missionary, like
Paul, to share truth with relatives and others, instead of politically correct cliches.

"Well, they don't wanna know," I find myself thinking. So I listen to the circumstances
that are trying in their lives. "Oh, I'll pray for you." But I don't give any godly advice for a cold weary soul.
No cloak from God's Word to keep them warm.

"They don't wanna hear it!" that voice yells at me in my head.

Well, too bad. Time to swallow that stinkin' pride, and say something. Take the hit! After
all, if I can't take a dirty look, a snotty comment, or a slap on the face for Christ, where will
I stand when the big guns come at me? Or will I stand?

I'm calling to Him for greater faith, but before that, greater knowledge of Him. For with great
faith comes great responsibility. Only in knowing Him more will I share His truth, certain of His
faithfulness to not let His Word return void. That is what a missionary does. That's the job.
That's my job.

For to live is Christ, to die gain.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.