So leaving is hard. I started applying to this program nearly two years ago. Then I got this job in February. And now, almost in December, I’m finally on my way! So basically, I’ve been saying goodbye to family and friends for months. One of my friends from the organization has said that this process is like pulling off a band-aid really, really slowly. I agree. It’s painful and slow…and painfully slow. But it’s also good. I’ve been forced to evaluate myself and my decision over and over and over. And I always come to the same conclusion: This is God’s will for me.
I have often been reminded of a certain passage of scripture during this very, very long process:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39)
Not everyone is called to leave their family and move to a foreign country. But as followers of Christ, we are all called to love Him. More than anything. More than anyone. Our allegiance is to Christ alone, to His gospel and His kingdom. But this does not mean that we love others less! On the contrary, we love them so much better. Loving Christ above all enables us to know Him in deeper and deeper parts of who we are. Because He is love in perfection, we ourselves become vessels of greater and greater love. And this love, which is too wondrous to be contained, must be shared. Extravagant love for others is an unavoidable side effect of exalting Christ above all.
Sacrifice in your heart the ones you love, and you will love them better than you could ever have imagined before. Give your life for the sake of the gospel, and you will find a life of abundance that could never have previously been fathomed.
This is definitely not easy! The most dangerous of temptations are the ones with seemingly righteous motives. And how unbelievably tempting is it to love your family more than Christ! But God wants us to love each other in the best possible way…
This means we must love each other by His love…not our own.
