““After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

When I went on my first mission trip to Haiti, I was scared to death. Not scared of the trip itself or scared of the time away, although it did take a lot of courage to do that alone. But my biggest fear was that I would not measure up to what I was sent to do.

I had no idea what it meant to be an ambassador of Christ, much less to share the Gospel. I knew that God had ordained this trip for me, but as the enemy often does, he took a hold of my mind and told me I was not good enough. That I was not qualified. After all, I had no training in missions work, other than the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit, and I could name so many people that could do it better than me.

But fear did not discourage me. I went anyway. I trusted Jesus. And I realized that it’s not about what everyone else does, or what everyone else can do, it’s about what Jesus has for me to do in the moment and how He empowers me to do it.

We can get so caught up in being criticized, feeling judged, or convincing ourselves that we aren’t doing it right, that we lose our confidence or even our desire to do it. But let me tell you this – no one can belittle what God is doing through you, because no one knows exactly what it is. And God is bigger than any of us – even the enemy or the ones who might discourage us.

God does not want us feeling incompetent or insignificant. And He does not condone jealousy or comparison. God wants us to rejoice in our work AND rejoice in the work of others as well. Everyone has their own gifts and their own way of using them depending on God’s unique assignments. And God is the One who gets the glory anyway. He has the final say as to what seeds grow, where they grow, when they grow, and how they grow.

So whether you are preaching or teaching, praying or serving, or just holding the hand of the least of these, you are sharing the Gospel. You are working together for the same purpose and the same God.

As I prepare for my 7th mission trip (this time to the Dominican Republic where the Haitians have fled), I give praise to Jesus. Praise for what He has done for me. Praise for what He has done through me. And praise for what He is going to do. I thank Him for how He has equipped me through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. And how He has taught me confidence that I am good enough to be His ambassador, not only to the nations, but to those right here at home. I am also thankful that He has given me a team of ladies to partner with on this trip. I am looking forward to seeing each one of them use their own unique gifts and watching what God will do through us all.

Photo: This is Jude, my friend from Haiti. I met him my first trip during church service when he came and sat beside me. He lived near the mission, and would show up at least one day every time I was there to our service projects. He was not an official missionary for the mission, and would often skip school to join us, but he had a heart for Christ and serving. And I loved seeing his face every time I went. Jude planted many seeds in my heart and I know he planted seeds in others too. I’m sure God has done great things through sweet little Jude. This post is dedicated to him.  

#SaturdaySoulSearch