I need Africa more than Africa needs
me.
There are a lot of stories I could tell you
and a lot of testimonies I could give you about being back in Swaziland but
there is one lesson I have learned that has been made more clear to me since
arriving last week and I would like to share it with you.
This is the second time I have been to
Swaziland, I LOVE this country, and I can honestly say that God has used
bringing me here very strongly in my life to change and grow me. When I
initially came to Africa in 2008-2009 I came to help, to serve, which I did but
I have come to realize that God took me to Africa because there are a lot of
lessons I needed to learn and a lot of things He needed to teach me.
The lesson that has solidified in my since
coming back a second time is this:
I
need Africa more than Africa needs me.
Ultimately, I need God more than anything,
more than Africa, but He had to take me to Africa to teach me a lot of things
so therefore I need Africa more than Africa needs me. God doesn’t need me here,
He could easily have sent someone bigger or better or stronger or bolder but He
didn’t because He knew that I needed to be here.
I shared this with my team the other
morning because I think it changes your perspective. It’s hard being here, especially
here in rural Swaziland. The ministry can be hard, there is no running water,
little to no electricity etc. and it is so easy to get lost in all of it and in
homesickness and expectations and all of that and say, “God why am I here? I
don’t really feel like I am doing anything.� Honestly God doesn’t need you to
do anything, it is only because of His love and grace He blesses you with
ministry, and most times all He wants to do is reveal Himself to you and
minister to you in a new way. We serve a personal God who wants to speak and
change each of us individually and sometimes He needs to remove us from our
normal lives so we can begin to listen.
So I challenged my team to ask God to tell
them why they are here. Why did He need them to come to Africa? Yes He has set apart
people here to be touched and a beautiful Gospel for us to proclaim but
what personally is God trying to do in each of us? Most times this is not seen
until after when we can look back and see the goodness of our Saviour in changing
our hearts but often God is revealing lessons and bits of Himself in the moment
as well.
So now I challenge you reading this. Why
does God have you where you are? You may not be in Africa but I am sure God is
trying to teach you lessons. Why does He have you where you are?
This is not an original idea
but I have learned a lot from it and this is where I got it from. Mocha club!
I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME:
-To realize that I am not my own. So Jesus
can look at me and say, “MINE.�
-To realize that I am responsible.
-To learn that I am gifted.
-To learn that small has nothing to do with
stature.
-To learn that my identity is completely
what God says about me and nothing else.
-So that He might become more and I might
become less.
-To learn that the best part of my day is
my quiet time.
-To learn that my story has impact.
-To learn that everyone has a story to tell
you and a joy to give you.
-My team’s thoughts:
-To learn to be content.
-To humble myself.
-To really come to trust in God alone.
-To learn that others and their needs need
to placed before my own.
-To learn how to live fully with nothing.
-To surrender everything so that my hands
are free and open to God’s abundant blessings.
-To open my eyes to the oblivion and
arrogance I have of the injustices in the world.
-To gain a voice for those who cannot
speak.
-To live in and learn what community looks
like.
-To learn to talk less and listen more
intently.
