Ten days from now I will get on a plane and fly to Togo, West Africa. Four days later I will work with students in a Bible school equipping them to study their Bibles more effectively in a four-day seminar. But that is not the only goal. The time is designed to give them tools for their own study that are transferable to the people to whom they will minister.
They speak French. I speak Texan. Since Friday I have been reconstructing the handout into French from a translation of the material that was done by a faculty member at a seminary in Cameroon. I ran into some challenges with the translation and asked questions of Ben, my host in Cameroon four weeks ago. He communicated with the translator and got me an answer within an hour or so. That interaction was through Facebook Messenger. At the same time, I was contacting Pierre, my host in Togo, for information through Skype.
Earlier this morning I got three emails from men in three different states. One was sharing what they would be specifically praying for me; one was checking to make sure that I had all of the finances I needed for the trip, one, a long time mentor, was writing to strengthen me for the challenge.
That’s six men in three different countries, three different states unified in helping me engage in that for which the Lord designed me and provided opportunities to steward His design. That does not count the literally hundreds of others who have invested in this financially, in prayer, and in equipping me to fully utilize the gifts and design of the Father.
We live in a culture that values independence. We celebrate the maverick, the solo artist. Proverbs 18:1 (here @ Bible Gateway) does not celebrate independence. There the Holy Spirit labeled flying solo, foolishness, the opposite of sound wisdom.
We desperately need each other. In multiple passages, the Bible makes it clear that we are dependent on the gifts of others. Ephesians 4:14 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) is one of those passages. There Paul clearly states that each member of the Body contributes to the growth of the Body.
I may be the one leading the seminar 15 days from now. But there are hundreds of the members of Christ’s Body who have placed me there. The fruit of this project is theirs.
Earlier this morning I got three emails from men in three different states. One was sharing what they would be specifically praying for me; one was checking to make sure that I had all of the finances I needed for the trip, one, a long time mentor, was writing to strengthen me for the challenge.
That’s six men in three different countries, three different states unified in helping me engage in that for which the Lord designed me and provided opportunities to steward His design. That does not count the literally hundreds of others who have invested in this financially, in prayer, and in equipping me to fully utilize the gifts and design of the Father.
We live in a culture that values independence. We celebrate the maverick, the solo artist. Proverbs 18:1 (here @ Bible Gateway) does not celebrate independence. There the Holy Spirit labeled flying solo, foolishness, the opposite of sound wisdom.
We desperately need each other. In multiple passages, the Bible makes it clear that we are dependent on the gifts of others. Ephesians 4:14 – 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) is one of those passages. There Paul clearly states that each member of the Body contributes to the growth of the Body.
I may be the one leading the seminar 15 days from now. But there are hundreds of the members of Christ’s Body who have placed me there. The fruit of this project is theirs.
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