Entitlement

May 3, 2007

Yesterday during our class worship and intercession God showed me this passage:

2 Timothy 4:1-5
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

I have a lot of pastors, evangelists, and people called to be teachers in my class so this was especially meaningful. and it was such an encouragment to me and my staff!

I also wanted to share with you what i am learning about entitlement. while living in Africa I have realized that i am not entilted to a hot shower, nor a shower with clean water, i am not entitled to a latte everyday from Starbucks or anyother high quality-or low quality-coffee shop. I am not entitled to a soft bed, or a bed at all. i am not entitled to personal space or private time, good books to read, teaching supplies, fresh salads, sweets, clean feet, good smells, or nutritionaly balanced meals. In short, i am not entitled to anything. Infact, i am blessed. and it is by the free gift of God's grace and hope in salvation through Him that I am given anything at all. It is a blessing that i was born in America, in Southern California none the less. it is a blessing that i went to preschool, elementary school, high shool, and a top university (go pepperdine), and now a very good seminary. it is a blessing that my country has high quality education and that my parents could afford it....and that it is the law to send children to school. it is a blessing that i have received amazing health care (go denise!), clean drinking water, and that i live in a country with sanatation laws. it is a blessing that i live in a house made of wood, bricks, carpet, tile, and other fine things. while congnitively i could have told you i am not entitled to any of this, living in Africa has made me KNOW that i am not entitled to any of these things. and i am grateful for that. i am grateful that every good thing comes from the Lord and that it is not of me...that i don't deserve these things and i haven't earned them.

it is also amazing to see how God provides for people who have nothing. when the warrior Maasai go out into the bush all they have to eat is their cows and all they have to drink is the cow's blood. in the villages they sleep on animal skin in houses made out of sticks and cow dung. they can live off the bare necessities. no one is entitled to a certain life style.

i have been encouraged by this! it liberates us from things, gives us full reliance on God, and gives us an outward mindset: that it's not all about us, it's about what God has done in our lives and how He can use these things to fufill the ministry He has given us. amen? amen.

take care,
Christina