The best time for our Enemy to attack is when we are making a spiritual difference. I cannot tell you how many times since we have accepted the teaching positions in the Philippines that I have voices in my head saying, "What do you think you are? You are not good enough to teach God's word!" or "Why go to the Philippines, life is good in America, it is comfortable, stable, safe. Kioni needs stabilities in her life. How dare the two of you dragging her all the way across the world and throw her in a developing country just because you think you are following God's call!" Many times, I knew our Enemy is giving me all these thoughts, especially during difficult times, to throw us off the course. Sometimes it is quite tempting to listen to these "logical" arguments and agree to them. But in the end, the Holy Spirit won my mind and heart over and helped me realize those were just big fat lies from our Enemy, whom doesn't want us to make any differences in anybody's life, it just wants us to live quietly, don't make a splash, don't stir up anything, just live a comfortable suburban Christian life. Go to church, lead a bible study, have some Christian friends over for dinner once in a while, that's good enough. Well, God has directed us otherwise.
Right at the time when we were deciding if we should go to the Philippines, two churches called Dan up and wanted to interview him for pastor's positions. Both churches are in the Washington D.C. area, which we both love to go back to. We know the city, we even know which neighbourhood to live in if we were to move back there. The thought of the possibilities of being able to have a stable income, to live in a nice D.C. neighbourhood and to minister there was very tempting. However, we both strongly felt that this is not what God is directing us in the next couple of years. So we turned them down.
It doesn't mean we will never live that way, but it is not the time now.
Sherry,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that it is really God's doing that we are leaving for the Philippines, without God's direction, there is no point of us going. We are glad that God is here all along the way to guide and comfort. I just don't want to paint a beautiful picture that we are wonderful missionaries without struggles. We do have struggles, but God always comforts and provides, we cannot deny this fact, since He has been doing this for us all our lives. We just have to trust that He will do the same in the next two years.