Monday, June 5, 2023

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Imagine being so committed to going to the mission field that you buy a one-way ticket to your assignment, and you pack all your belongings in a coffin. You know that you will never make it home. This is what one missionary did. He was going to a mission field where ministry cost the lives of every missionary before him. This missionary did not fear for his life, because he had already died to himself. His ministry lasted 35 years. They say that the tribe buried him in the middle of the village upon his death and inscribed on his tombstone, “When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness.”

The fact of the matter is that no one gets to this point of total surrender to missions automatically. It is a process. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We come with the natural propensity to use our human wiles to manipulate like Delilah; have lack of commitment like Lot’s wife; and burn with a lustful appetite like Potiphar’s wife. Left to our own devices, we would self-destruct – trying to gain comfort and pleasure in the process.

PRAYER: Lord, I know that I was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Thank you for saving me! I want my lifestyle, thoughts, and words to be reflective of your presence in me. Amen.