Do you bear in mind your first massive journey? I do. It was again once I was in my early 20s. A form particular person had gifted me a flight to San Diego from Belgium to go to an in depth buddy. It was my first long-haul flight and my first time in North America. As we approached land, I might see fishing boats off the Canadian coast. I puzzled what was on their minds as they went about their every day lives. That week, I learn in Ephesians 1:12 that believers are to the reward of His glory. I assumed concerning the folks engaged on the boats. Had been they praising the Lord in how they labored? With these ideas on my thoughts as I approached a brand new continent, I considered Numbers 14:21, the place the Lord guarantees that each one the earth will likely be stuffed with His glory.
Throughout the previous few years, the Lord, in His plentiful grace, has given me the great privilege of instructing folks worldwide tips on how to apply Scripture to life’s points. As I mirror on the Lord filling the earth with His glory, I share a number of observations from my experiences.
Profound Respect
Final 12 months, I used to be in Asia at a convention with about 1,200 attendees from over 100 nations. I’ve recognized many of those folks for about 25 years and have seen how they stay and minister. Different folks grew to become new associates. These godly folks love the Lord, counsel Scripture, and need to discover ways to counsel even higher. In flip, I’ve realized a lot from them and sought their recommendation regularly. Many have practiced soul care with out having heard of what’s referred to as biblical counseling or learn something by anybody within the motion. Seeing folks from all around the earth glorifying the Lord in His church by instructing and making use of Scripture to folks’s lives has been an amazing blessing.
I’m pondering of a person in Asia who has served the church there for about 30 years. Along with being a pastor, he’s an educational who has written extensively about moral points from a biblical perspective.
Deep Compassion
Listening to what folks have gone by way of and the way they’ve recognized the Lord by way of it has been encouraging and humbling. I’ve realized from folks about trusting the Lord by way of occasions of great private struggling. I’ve realized from this the significance of being compassionate and caring whereas instructing and counseling, following the examples of our Lord (Matt. 14:14) and Paul (2 Cor. 1:5), whereas understanding and dwelling the hope that God brings.
One woman shared with me concerning the night time a tribe got here to her village. They molested all the ladies, together with her, and killed and kidnapped others. My coronary heart bled as I heard her story. What struck me about her? Jesus. Her complete character exuded our Lord, having recognized Him by way of great struggling.
Common
What has amazed me is how common Scripture is. As Scripture is utilized to life’s points worldwide in culturally acceptable methods, lives change. They usually change in ways in which level to Jesus. That is really great.
I’ll by no means know the way the folks on that fishing boat went about their every day lives. That go to to North America again within the Nineteen Nineties expanded my view of the world. Within the intervening years, it has been an amazing blessing to serve the Lord in many countries by instructing tips on how to apply Scripture to life’s points and to have fellowship with and study from devoted, godly believers of all ages and from many continents.
Questions for Reflection
- As we take into consideration different believers, how can we study concerning the Lord from them?
- In what methods does the Lord’s compassionate coronary heart impression our counseling?
- How can we guarantee our counsel factors to Jesus and strikes past our specific tradition?
