Monday, November 28, 2011

Cuba

In the days leading up to my next trip, some time to reflect is in order.  

We have 1 goal with this trip... to build friendships with those God puts in our paths and to share the truth of the gospel with them.  I hope I can give a reason for the hope that lies within me; the hope that this world of politics, cash, materialism, one-upmanship,  communism, capitalism, liberalism, conservatism and religion is not all there is. There is more to this broken world, and it has nothing to do with me and my happiness.  It has everything to do with Christ and his finished work of redemption.

I reflected today on Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. "He who blesses others cannot fail to be blessed himself. On the other hand, to seek our own personal greatness is a wicked and unhappy plan of life, its way will be grievous and its end will be fatal."

Specifically, I pray today that I can take my focus off my own "personal greatness" by thinking I can make a difference.  I can't make a difference.  Only Christ can as we make ourselves available to accept his grace and love... isn't that crazy?  Yet, it's the only thing that makes sense, if I'm being honest. If I'm lying to myself about who I am... yeah it's crazy because of course, I can make a difference because I'm a "good person".  I really pray this week and going into next week when I'm in Havana, that I will be able to strip myself every minute of the "good person" label.