Last week at our Bible study, my friends and I got into a discussion on the suffering Jesus asks of us and the admonition of the Apostle Paul to seek to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. (Phil.3:10)
I've always thought Paul was talking about the suffering we experience in our quest to share the good news of a life committed to God with those who don't know Him. I believe it's the suffering I encounter when my labor is motivated by love for those Jesus loves not the suffering that results from mistakes, error or trials.
My daughter, Chrissy, is a missionary to Mongolia and she is a teacher in the Bible School that she and her husband founded there. One of the classes she teaches is Evangelism. She sent an e-mail message this week describing the end of class projects she participated in this year. Because a portion of the students had decided to have a special children's service they, along with Chrissy, struck out into the community to invite all who would attend. Here is the account in Chrissy's own words.
Half of our students did a children's service outreach. The whole project was a battle. I struggled physically the whole time. Somehow on our first visit, we were in a ger (one room house, tent) and as I sat on the bed, I was attacked by bugs and got bites all over my one hip. There were struggles the whole time. The last day I had a woman that tried to pick a fight with me out in the ger district as we were inviting the kids to come to the service. Then , I had a drunk man chasing me around. (The good thing is that I can still outrun drunk men, ha ha)
However, the children's service went incredibly well. There were 80 children that came. I estimated that 50 of them stood indicating that they had never been to church before. Many of those children prayed to receive Christ. The children's church leaders at the church were so encouraged and excited to disciple these new believers.
As Paul seemed to say, we never know what we will encounter when we step outside our church walls, but there is no suffering that can outweigh the great joy of being apart of someones new birth in Christ.
As in nature, new life in the church seems to spring forth abundantly in the Spring. Every mother will attest when she holds her baby for the first time after suffering through labor, "It was all worth it!" Don't let any hindrance keep you from experiencing this joy for yourself!
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