Join the Cycle

2 Timothy 2:2

“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Go do. Go do was the phrase I heard over and over again in my head this past summer when I was trying to decide if I should come to Ignite or not. I had a lot of fear. I didn’t feel equipped, I had never felt called to the mission’s field, and I mentally was not prepared for such a radical deviation from my original four year plan. But God said, “Go. Go as I call you. Follow where I lead you, just as I sent my Son to the earth, a foreign land devoid of perfection. Be faithful, Charis.” I had no reason to doubt or fear, did I? I have grown up in the church, I have a solid foundation, and a heart that is seeking after the Lord. Before I was born, God knew and always purposed that I would join this mission’s training school. He knew that I would live in Antigua, Guatemala for three months, and he knew that it would forever change my life. He knew that I would serve for six months in Kenya, with four other incredible human beings. All of this he predestined, and every trial I have been through, every joy I have experienced, God has used to mold me, and guide my feet to the place they now stand today. Thinking about this blows my mind! God’s faithfulness endures forever, and even if I struggle to see, his goodness encompasses me in the light and the darkness, the seen and the hidden. Now what does this all have to do with being teachable, and teaching others. I honestly don’t know, but I had to get those words above, off of my chest. When I read this verse, I automatically thought of my church. My Pastor, David Rosales, has been faithful to teach and entrust the gospel, in the hands of my parents, for thirty plus years. My parents, therefore, have been given the tools they need to teach me about the Lord, trusting that I would be faithful to do the same for my family one day. The same teaching and equipping that my Pastor gave to my parents, has also been passed on to my mentor/family/youth pastor, Dustin. And Dustin has faithfully sown the seed in my life. I have been able to take the past six years of teaching, and mentoring, and share them with the other young girls of our high school, alongside another woman who has poured into me, Brandi, during our girl’s study. It is a cycle of faithful servants, strengthened by the grace of God, being so motivated and moved to spread the light with everyone they meet. I have never taken the time to look at this cycle, but now, I am so grateful. If one of those people had not been faithful to pour into me, and build me up, I might not be here today, or I might not have the same relationship with the Lord that I do now. Teachability is vital to the growth of the gospel, and if I truly say that I love the Lord, my main purpose in life should be to share Jesus in words and actions, with all people, no matter the cost. Too many Christians hear the sounds of the battle, and choose not to fight. We lay the “burden” of sharing the gospel, on missionaries or people that are “better” than us, and choose to remain silent.  But silence, and comfort is not the life we have been called to. We are called to arise and fight, to arise and shine, to arise and share, and it is our honor to give people the same hope that was entrusted to us, that saved our souls and rescued us from the pit. Jeremiah 20:9 says, ”If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” God, let me not hold back any longer. May I not live in silence, but may I be loud, shining boldly and brightly for the furtherance of your kingdom, the only one that truly matters. 

Application: In one week, I will be home again for ten days, and I will go to my home church for the first time in three months. I will be sure to find my pastor, and youth pastor, and thank them for being faithful ministers of God’s word. Without their training and their devotion to the Lord, I would not be who I am today.