There is pain and suffering all over this world…has been since the fall (Genesis 3). We tend to label pain and suffering at different levels. Some are stamped heavily with empathy while others are cloaked in a culture which says ‘don’t tell anyone about this’. But through all the pain and suffering God hears and sees it all. You may ask ‘well if God knows about it why doesn’t He do something about it?’. I’m left to wonder if God is saying ‘if you know about the pain and suffering why don’t you do something about it?’
We are His children and as His children we are instructed to tell people His message of love and forgiveness (Mark 16:15). Some are called to tell this message on the foreign mission field, others to the inner city, while others are called to hospitals, classrooms or prisons (either in your backyard or across the ocean). Are we listening to where He wants us?
As Dumbledore said (yes, from Harry Potter) “there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right” And the message from God says the choice won’t be easy, “if anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke). That certainly doesn’t sound easy does it? Easy, no, but right, yes.
My prayer today is each of us will hear God’s voice instructing/leading/guiding us to which field we are to be in. Is God calling you to a different mission field or perhaps asking you to dig deeper in your current field? We could all learn a lesson from Mahatma Gandhi when he said “be the change you want to see in the world.”