“I will become all things to all people in order to reach a few.”

A big thank you goes out to all of those who prayed for me as well as my collages during our personal application this past week. The day was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the wind was blowing. I truly felt that God had given me a piece of heaven that afternoon. I felt his presence and truly met with God out the field near the lake. I lifted my hands and I praised God as I feel I never have before. For the past two weeks I had felt so oppressed by the enemy and the tricks he was playing with my thoughts. I finally admitted that I couldn’t go on acting as if everything was okay. God has given each of joy and that joy is to be abundant. No one can rob us of this joy. Joy is not the same as happiness though. Happiness is an emotion or a state of being and joy is ordering our life correctly. Remember, my second teacher teaching us this acronym for how to have true JOY in our lives…J-Jesus, O-Others, Y-Yourself. Philippians 2:1-18 speaks about humility as to how we are shine for Him. When I read these words God spoke to me and said, “Julia, what are your priorities? Where do I fit in? You are being sent out by me to a people who need to know about my love. How can you reach them when you think so highly of yourself?”

In Beth Moore’s book, Praying God’s Word, the first chapter questions “Why does God allow us to spend so much of life in the heat of battle? Because He never meant for us to sip His Spirit like a proper cup of tea. He meant for us to hold our sweating heads over the fountain and lap up His life with unquenchable thirst.” 

 “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” ~ Philippians 2:3-4 

That afternoon, I laid my face to the ground and asked that the Lord make me humble in order to prepare me for the people He has sent me to.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” ~ Philippians 2:13  

As scary and outside the comfort zone these places that I am headed for seem to be I am confident in this, God has led me to
Swaziland; however, now I must be made ready for the culture and the people. As Americans we believe we have innate rights, yet as we leave to follow God’s call to the ends of the earth we are no longer American. We are entering into their culture and we must meet them where they are no matter the cost.

“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.” ~Philippians 2:5-6