A Calling...

So I have been in Houston for two weeks now working. So far, I have yet to do a 2010 tax return, but I have inputted multiple returns for 2007, 2008, and 2009. I have really enjoyed work, seeing the theory and principles I have learned about during my education actually at play, to know what someone else is talking about when discussions about clients come up, but I still have so much to learn. I do not know what to look for in order to help lower someone's tax liability or pay less, but I am sure I will learn in time. But I really have enjoyed my time in Houston so far.

One big development since I have been there, though, is my acceptance into the Discipleship Training School with YWAM Tokyo, so it is a for sure deal! It is very exciting knowing I will be going to Japan in a couple of months. There are so many preparations still to be made, yet I am trusting God that they will be taken care of (Probably a great deal more detail will be following this soon, but I have different plans for this post in conjunction with this topic.)

Even though it has been exciting this past week with work, snow, and confirmation, I could not help but to begin wondering about why I might be going. It is hard to explain: I knew going is what God wanted me to do; I see a great need for Christ in the nation of Japan; I wanted to go oh so badly. But why? I was starting to doubt why I wanted to go. To spread the gospel, of course. To tell others about our great savior. To bring unbelievers into the kingdom of God. But why? Why do that?

Thursday evening, after returning home from work, my neighbor and friend Colby asked me a simple question:

"What did you see in the word today?"

"Man, I haven't had time to look into the word today," I replied.

"What did you see in it yesterday?"

After thinking and knowing that I looked at some scripture the day before, I could not recall any of it, and it was a sad feeling. Eventually, I walked back to my apartment, and pondered it some more, yet it still took me until later that night to open my Bible up. Is it not amazing how hard it is to open your Bible sometimes? You have a desire, you really do, yet you think of a hundred other things you could or would like to or need to do. Praise the Lord that He brought me into His Word, for He definitely had something to show me.

I found myself in 2nd Corinthians that night, marveling at Paul's love for the Corinthian church. It brings me great joy in seeing how he loves all of the churches he writes, even though sometimes he has to bring the smack down on them, too (which is love at work). As I was reading along, taking notes here and there, I eventually came to chapter 3:4-6: "...Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves,but our competence comes from God..." (v.5) Seeing this helped me comprehend that I am not a competent minister, but it is God, through His Spirit, that allows all of us to be a competent ministers for Him.

And just as God gives us the ability to be competent ministers, He calls all of us to be ministers of reconciliation to the world. But it is not us who reconciles others to God, but God reconciles us to Him by sending His son to die for us on the cross! He no longer counts our sins against us! Praise be to God! And for this reason, He makes His appeal to the world through us. We each have a great and important ministry before us, and He works in us to make it happen, so may we all rely on Him and His Spirit to carry on the ministry as we long for and move towards the heavenly house He has prepared for us.

(This comes from 2nd Corinthians 5; if you read this and see something different, please, please, PLEASE comment and tell me so. And I also kind of wrote this through out today, so there might be disconnects, and for that, I apologize if so)