Resting in His Radical Love

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.  

It’s a familiar verse but I struggle to apply it to my life many times. This is one of those times.

I have my understanding of what the Nuer need. We have been privileged to work among them for more than a year now, so I have formed my limited understanding of what they need based on much observation. My understandingis that they would benefit greatly from an outside perspective of the love of God. My observation has been that there are not a lot of examples to point to of sacrificial love. Without some picture of what sacrificial love looks like, it has to be difficult for the love of Jesus to really sink in.

In my personal culture, I can find with a little effort examples of husbands that love their wives sacrificially. I can find parents that work hard and sacrifice for their children. So I started to wonder if perhaps the Lord had chosen us to be a living example of sacrificial love and to speak of His sacrificial love and how it naturally flows into our lives as followers of Christ.

Now, as we face the final days that we have with Nuer, I have to reconsider everything that I thought I understood. So it is not, at least immediately, God’s plan to reveal himself through us, foreign missionaries. And we won’t get to spend the time and life with them that we thought we would.

I am encouraged, though, that the Lord must have bigger plans. As hard as it is for us to leave, we have to trust that the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus in heart-transforming ways, even without anyone from the outside here. I have met men during my time that have a Spirit-driven desire to see the Church be more beautiful and more refined. They're willing to stand for truth even if culture will push back. In a time like this, I really am grateful I don’t have to lean on my own understanding and that all I have to do is submit to God in the ways I go.

I am grateful I can indeed trust that He can use whatever vessel He desires to bring the heart transformation we long to see.

I can rest in His radical love for the Nuer and His radical love for us.

Remember Your First Love

I have been thinking a lot lately about life and what is primary.

What in our lives should we put first?

Of course, because I follow Christ, what is supposed to be primary is obvious: Jesus. It’s the next step in my thought process, though, that's been challenging me. How do we put Jesus as primary? Is it by devoting our lives to service? Is it by replacing “secular” activities with “holy” ones? Is it by standing up for the truths revealed in the Bible? Is it by doing something God wants us to do? 

Of course these things fit “inside” of the answer, but as I read Revelation 2 and what it says about the Church in Ephesus, I have to think that doing for the Lord is a secondary priority to “remembering our first love." So often, though, my next thought is, "But I'm American, and so the proof is in the pudding. If I love Jesus, I will serve Jesus, so I simply must quickly turn my affection into action. I need to get busy and do before someone starts quoting James 1:22."

I would never argue that doing nothing is the answer, but I keep finding myself just barely getting a glimpse of the feet of Jesus before I start feeling like I should run and help Martha. Perhaps more tragically, I have found myself at times trying to sit at the feet of Jesus only to become a better servant of His. I got it backwards.

I try to make Jesus a means to my service or fruit instead of making Him my deepest affection.

This is my struggle. I am not trying to make it yours if you don't struggle with this, too. I hope you read this and you feel like you have permission to be with Jesus a lot more than you thought was okay before. I hope you feel permission to say no to a service opportunity or a church activity in favor of spending time in the presence of God to love and be loved by him.

I think we might have to park our ideas about “our impact” and “our legacy." We will have to tame our cultural urge to produce a product at all times. Only then will we be able to feel comfortable making the trade from “doing for” to “being with.”

Let’s try and just spend time “remembering our first love." 

I want to build something for you, God

I want to build something for you, God. 

The desire comes with mixed motives I'm sure. It's hard for us as believers to meditate on the gospel and not come away with a burning desire to advance the Kingdom of God. To see our Jesus lifted high. He is just too good to keep Him all to ourselves.

On the other hand, when I am confronted with a lack of tangible fruit in some area of life, it's revealed that maybe my desire for this advancement is also motivated a bit by my desire to feel good about what I do. I want to feel like my life counts, like I'm successful, effective, and equipped. This desire is not bad, either. I believe this is a God-given desire.

It's when I find myself chasing significance and accomplishment apart from Jesus that I begin to walk away from the life God wants for me and toward the bits of death we call sin.

God may be responding to my statement, “I want to build something for you God.”

He may be saying:

I want to build something WITH you, son.

I want you to stop looking at your building project long enough to turn toward me and to take my hand. I want you to find my heart. Let’s look at this building together. Why don’t you ask me to move the bricks that are impossible for you to move? Why don’t you look at the things you are not equipped for as things that you need my help with, not things that prevent your success? After all, I don’t need builders. I can speak buildings into existence. I don’t need your service. I washed my friends' feet when I was with them.

I came to serve, remember? What I really want for you is more relationship. I want you to walk in the joy of holding the shepherd’s hand while we go together and carry out the ministry of reconciliation. I have given you an amazing mission to go out and restore people to their passionate, loving Father. Not because I am helpless to save them without your excellent work and strategy, but because you will get to know my heart as you seek as I seek and love as I love.

I could be wrong, but as I consider these statements, I think I find every single one is scripture. Help me if you think I am wrong. 

He wants to build something with us.

Do I have what it takes?

Do I have what it takes? It’s a question I had before I left the states and it is still the main question after a year of being in Africa. It's a question that's shaped my past, and I think it will be a question that has the power to shape my present and my future.

I have a hunch that I'm not the only one. You and I don’t just ask ourselves this question, we spend our time trying to look for evidence of the answer. We look at the results of our work or relationships and we critique ourselves about the quality of our results. If we don’t find flawless execution and better-than-average results, we begin to critique our personalities, skill levels, and our natural abilities.

We find things that could have been done better if one of these things were different. We look at ourselves and notice we aren't perfectly suited for what we do today. We might look for something we are better at. We might start to avoid situations that make us uncomfortable. If we are really “spiritual,” we pray for God to improve us.

Soon, our gifts and talents are our Lord instead of Jesus.  

Do I have what it takes? That is not a question we need to answer. It’s a question we need to go to war against. It's a question in direct opposition at times with the question we should be asking.

We should be asking, "What does God want to do in our lives? What is he calling us too?"

Beloved, it's not even about the results. We are off track from the beginning if we think God wants more from us: more results, more success, or more impact. Jesus doesn’t want more from us, He wants more of us. He wants us to be consumed with Him because He designed us to be consumed by Him. When we are consumed by Him, we bring Him the most joy and we ourselves receive the most joy.

He wants to lead us to places where we will find more of Him not to find a more significant life. He wants us to stop trying to find the way we can bring him the most success and start trying to find the way we can find the most of Him 

The application of this differs slightly from person to person, but all followers of Jesus are, by nature, missionaries. We can stop asking if we are good missionaries and start asking instead, "Lord, where should we go? Lord, who should we talk to? And Lord, What do you want us to say to them?"

My guarantee is this: He will lead us not to comfortable places but to ones filled with more joy and more Jesus. 

God has us here for a reason

The last three months in Africa have been filled with illnesses and sicknesses that the Pierce family has never encountered stateside--funky, not-so-familiar names like Giardia, Amoebic Dysentery, and now Brucellosis.  As painful and inconvenient as these yucky bugs are, they pale in comparison to the suffering around us.  

My heart breaks when I see children walking around with poorly healed limbs, now debilitated, because they had to lie in bed while their bones healed improperly without a cast. Malnourished children, thyphoid, and tuberculosis are common. Men, women, and children die of unknown diseases, malnutrition, and complications that can’t be resolved.

I see the terrible suffering of these people each day. I want to do more. I want to give more. And maybe the Lord is asking me to. When I put it before the Lord, I can’t help but see a bigger picture.

As long as governments continue to worship the idols of power and wealth, and their allegiance is not to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords--wars and famine will happen. Medical development and farming will be limited due to instability and corruption. More and more people will die. Displacement and instability will limit access to basic medical care and sanitary living conditions.

Near the refugee camps in Ethiopia, housing is scarce. Families pile other displaced family members into their mudhuts, so when one person gets sick, everyone gets sick. I am brought to tears as tragedy continues to unfold before me. But the answer isn’t better healthcare. BILLIONS of Billions of dollars are sent to countries just like South Sudan every year to help save lives and improve access to healthcare. Why isn’t the aid working? We know the answer. This battle is not against flesh and blood. 

Why would we invest two years or more of our lives here unless we had hope? Hope that we might have the opportunity to serve, love, and disciple a few South Sudanese men and women. Hope that those who don’t know Him might come to know our only hope, Christ Jesus. Hope that those who DO know Christ as Lord might be encouraged that, despite the suffering and sorrow they are enduring, they are born again into a living hope that cannot be destroyed by war or famine.

Please join us in prayer for South Sudan. For the leaders. For the soldiers. For the widows. For the orphans. For the dying. For the lost.

God has us here for a reason. Despite the sadness and grief that we see and experience here, we are blessed to be here. We are blessed to war in prayer for this nation, for these people, and to gather you with us in this fight. Thank you for your support.

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.  For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

Ephesians 6: 11-12

We are just "Regular" Missionaries

In January, while in Kampala, we had the amazing joy of meeting with other refugee missionaries that had been working in South Sudan. We got to spend time with them in prayer for the South Sudanese people that we love so much.

But a question kept coming up as I was introduced to different people.

"What do you do there?"

An innocent question, but granted most of them were doctors or in charge of orphanages. They had, what I perceived to be, “real jobs."

“Ummm…” I would begin to respond. “We are just regular missionaries. We drill water wells and have radio towers that share the gospel through Bible stories, but my main focus is discipleship.”

They were always so excited and would talk about the need for discipleship in South Sudan. But somewhere in the back of my mind I felt small. I had to fight Satan's lies that my job wasn’t as important because I wasn’t a doctor or nurse.

In the midst of the trials, God continues to push us into beautiful discipleship relationships. As I was walking home this week with some new friends, Nyateth and Nyamulan, a child with special needs passed us by. I clearly heard the Lord say, “Go back. Pray for her."

I immediately obeyed, but not without questioning. “Lord, surely you aren’t wanting me to pray for healing. Do I have that much faith?” I began to pray and the Lord led me to pray blessings and protection over her--that she would know the love of her heavenly father and that others would love her in the same way.

That was it.

The girls were a little shocked that I would turn us back to pray for her. Nyateth and Nyamulan are teenagers. They enjoy spending time with us and it seems that they look up to the ladies on the team like big sisters.

This is what I do in Africa. I just live. And God uses it. He uses it to demonstrate his love for someone who might not always feel loved.  He uses our lives to demonstrate to James our guard what it means for Jared to love his wife and children well. He uses it to demonstrate forgiveness, as I have to ask for it often. It’s our lives on display to a watching people. It’s His light in us, shining in the darkness.

What a privilege we have! It’s an honor, and it’s beautiful.

You have the same privilege. Jesus calls us to make disciples. This is no menial task. It’s our lives, and--ultimately--it’s the eternal lives of others.

Be encouraged, beloved. He is worthy!

Life Without Clean Water

We arrived in Western Ethiopia, only to find that the housing arrangements we had made were no longer an option. We quickly had to find housing in a town overflowing with NGO workers.

There was only one option. We booked the rooms and started moving in. We quickly found several disappointments in the rooms, but the biggest one was that the water wasn’t working. Now, we are professionals at living without plumbing. But in Nasir, we have this beautiful thing called a water well.

Day one, the water we were brought looked clean. We bathed with it and began filtering it for drinking water.

Day two, the water we were brought was brown. Very, very brown.

The water had come from the river. The river that hundreds of people bathe in daily. Cars are washed in it, and occasionally you’ll see a herd of cattle bathing in it. And I’m sure you can imagine all of the other lovely things one would find in such a busy body of water.

What were we to do? It is the dry season here and water supplies are running low. “It should rain in a few days,” the staff at the guest house told us. So we braced ourselves and went a few days without bathing.

By God's grace, it did in fact rain.

During that interim period we purchased bottled water to do the daily necessities like brushing teeth and, of course, staying hydrated in 110 degree weather. But what about everyone else? In a place where bottled water costs more money than coca cola, we were fortunate. Not everyone here is as fortunate as we are.

We rarely get to see such a vivid picture of life without clean water. But this week, we did.

We appreciate more the work of Every Village and other organizations that work to bring clean water to people. Lives are saved because of it. Lives are saved over something I have taken for granted.

If you are the person who helps raise money for water wells, or if you are the person writing the check, thank you! We are so grateful for those that sacrifice to give the gift of water. 

God of Miracles

A few months ago in South Sudan, Brooke (my two-year-old) and I were hanging in a hammock. Abruptly, the string holding the hammock up snapped and we fell from about three to four feet above the ground. Brooke got out without a scratch. I had terrible pain in my tailbone, spine, and hip.

Because the clinic wasn’t easy to get to, I decided to give it a few days and see if it healed on its own. The pain was excruciating and only seemed to get worse. I stayed in bed for two full days, but on the third day, the pain was nearly gone.

A few days ago, another accident occurred. I found Brooke trying to climb down the stairs that has just been mopped. I scolded her and warned her that she could fall and get hurt. I swiftly picked her up and, at that very moment, we both went sliding down the staircase--her head hitting every step.

Miraculously, Brooke escaped with just a small bump on her forehead. My fate didn’t look as promising. My hand was badly mangled and fingers weren’t pointed in normal directions. The X-ray technician said it looked bad. The British doctor with 30-plus years of experience said I definitely had one, possibly two bones broken in my hand. Then the X-rays came back. “Did they x-ray the correct hand?” the doctor asked. Indeed they had. Second miracle of the day--I had escaped the fall with some bruising and swelling, but NOTHING broken.

1. Our God is one of miracles. If you need a miracle today, no matter how big or small, call on some brothers or sisters and have them pray with you. Let's lift one another up, encourage one another and ask God to show us His power.

2. I grew up without my father. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but God is our perfect father. He is there when we fall. In the small falls and the big ones. If you don’t know God as father, ask Him to show you. I pray that you will know Him as He is. One of perfect love, perfect strength, one who is passionate about you!

3. This is for parents: As I slid down the stairs with Brooke in my arms, every part of me wanted to protect her from the fall. But there was nothing I could do. The situation was completely out of my control. We don’t have control of our kids, but praise God that they are His. Let’s be faithful to shepherd them, care for them, and love them well. But at the end of the day, they are His children. Praise God! The perfect father, who looks after His sheep. He’s bigger, stronger and greater than anything I can offer them in my own flesh. 

Waiting

We wait and we watch. We wait as fragile peace is compromised. We are forced to watch as innocent people are abused and killed by those fighting for power.

As I watch, ceasefire or not, I see only one solution.

One way that South Sudan will be changed. One way it can be saved.

Of course it’s the gospel, but just to be more specific--I am not just talking about individuals being rescued from their sin and missing out on the punishment of that sin. I mean the gospel lived out in lives. I mean the kingdom advanced so completely in human hearts that they forgive the unforgivable. I mean people knowing Jesus to the extent that they don’t need other things. I mean that they know the fullness of Jesus and don't need more revenge, power, significance, or money.

Personally, I have days where I feel the undertow of all of those “more” desires in myself and have little hope of ever seeing these things happen. I also have days where I can feel the strength of the Spirit in me and I know that it already has satisfied me.

I have hope for the people of South Sudan because it is never too late and it is never too far gone. I know this because of my own story and because of the stories from scripture.

I have hope for South Sudan because our God is not only big enough, He has done it before.

I have hope for South Sudan because I know the power of the gospel to transform.

As you pray with us for the nation of South Sudan and her people, pray with faith-filled confidence.

Pray with hope. Pray with the awareness of the power and majesty of our King.

LOVE

LOVE,  I want to tell you about what He’s been showing us about His love for us and His love for others.

God loves you and me. This BIG God came in the flesh to a pain-filled world, becoming the perfect sacrifice and taking our punishment for sin.

I know the beautiful and precious story of the gospel very well. It’s the only story I hear over and over again that can still bring tears to my eyes.

As God has been showing me His desire for me to live a life as a servant, He took me to the cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
 did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing
 by taking the very nature of a servant,
 being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,
 he humbled himself
 by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

It was in His love for us that He humbled himself. And so as I was seeking a formula for how to become a humble person, he showed me.

It is loving others. 

Now how in the world am I supposed to do that? How can I love someone sacrificially as Christ did? We know that it’s Christ in us loving others. But I wanted to know what specifically is keeping this hindered in my life. 

And then He showed me.

I can’t love others sacrificially until I better grasp His love for me. I have this idol of self, which just won’t go away. He loves you and me perfectly. He loves us better than we love ourselves. When I get that, I can let go of trying to protect myself and love others freely. 

I want that! Don’t you?

I’m praying: God, help me to better know your love for me. Help me to let go of myself so I’m freed up to love others. And then Lord, FILL me with your love. May it pour out, may it overflow.