A Purpose in Life

So...the question I've heard most when people see me is, "Did you have fun in India?" My answer is usually, "Well, something like that." The last word I would use to describe my time in Mumbai would be fun. Life-changing, yes. Eye-opening, yes. Sad, yes. Happy, sometimes. But none of these descriptions could come close to what we truly experienced during our time there. The American's definition of "fun" would be riding a thrill ride, buying the newest gadget, seeing the latest movie, or eating at a famous restaurant. A child in the slums of Mumbai would have a slightly different definition...it would be finding some food, a used pair of sandals, seeing an American walking by, riding a piece of wood tied to a donkey (Donkey surfing), or hearing a story for the first time about a man who died for our sins. Never in all my life have I seen people and kids so intrigued with the story of the Gospel. In America, it seems like everyone has heard it in some form whether or not it be the truth...so they do not care to hear about it anymore. But in Mumbai we came in contact with many people who had never heard the name Jesus before - or if they had, He was just another one of their 385 gods they worshipped. Telling people the entire true story of the Gospel had never felt so amazing and life-changing as it did in India. We've become so numb to the words of the Bible and the preaching of the Gospel. It's almost hard to imagine a whole world out there, when we are so consumed with living the American dream & climbing life's ladder of success. There are thousands of self-help books trying to help us figure out the meaning of life and what our purpose is. Honestly, before this trip, I too wondered what I was here for sometimes. I spoke before about the book we read called "Crazy Love", well I was introduced to another amazing book called "Radical" by David Platt. I had plenty of time to read it during our 20 hour travel time. This book was similar to Crazy Love but with an additional emphasis on missions. Platt makes it very clear that God has commanded each one of us to not only live for Him, but also to tell others about Him. If we don't reach those who have never heard, then they are destined to die without ever having the choice to believe in Him. That is nobody's fault but ours. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” — Romans 10:13-15

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15 So can you look at these kids' faces and tell me you don't see a purpose there? Could you look at them in the eyes and not want to explain to them why they were created & that there is life after death?! Or would you rather sit on your comfy couch and watch your life pass you by? It's up to you. What's your purpose in life? By no means do I have it all figured out and I'm on a slow path to learning where I belong in the big picture. What God showed me in India was a snapshot of what He has in store over my lifetime. But I know that I needed every second of what I learned in India to teach me how to be more confident to share His word and to trust that He will ALWAYS be there when I need Him. He never let me down when I needed the Holy Spirit to speak through me. As many of you know, I'm not exactly the most outspoken person...so it was a big leap for me to have to be a leader & to teach the Word to a group of people. Of course Satan continued to tell me I couldn't do it, but time after time I proved him wrong and God helped me through it. As always, everything begins with prayer. None of us can do anything without praying to Him for guidance and assistance. We also have to pray for the people who have dedicated their entire lives to make sure all nations have heard. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” — Matthew 24:14

http://www.brookhills.org/global/pray_go_give/index.html

Here is a small glimpse of a regular day on the streets of Mumbai: