Guilt Trip
OK, you’ve heard it and felt it.
“How dare you have so much while others have so little?”
Guilt.
“How dare you stay here when there are so many great needs over there?”
Guilt.
“Why are you satisfied with such a comfortable lifestyle?”
Guilt.
It hasn’t moved you. It is de–motivating at best. It leaves you defeated, confused, and defensive. And if we do act out of guilt, our actions do not come from the heart and won’t bring the deep blessing of connection. Worse yet, they do not really represent God.
But there are better reasons to leave all that you know and start over with a new language, new culture and new friends.
Let me offer you two—really just one: Jesus.
First, Jesus is worth it. John figured it out when he saw Him, and he wrote about it:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open it, for you were slain and with your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to our God…”(Revelation 5:9).
Second, and this follows the first, Jesus is satisfying. He said,
Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10: 29–30).
Do you believe Him? It’s hard to really know until you try something. That’s what Carrie did. She discovered how faithful God is to His Word. Here is what she wrote while on her one-year GAP Team in the Middle East:
We spent the evening at our neighbor's house like we do every night. The house was full of so many cousins and siblings and aunts and other relatives that I couldn’t keep everyone straight!
One of the daughters in that family, Sharo, who I have grown close to, had been sick in bed all day. My teammate and I sat on the bed next to Sharo and intended to say a quick goodbye. Soon, however, the room filled up with the happy voices of other sisters and cousins. And before long some of the brothers and husbands found us and wanted in on the fun, too!
They asked Becky and I lots of curious questions about our lives and families, but really we just joked around and laughed–just like I would with my own family. There were no pretenses, no masks. They were real. I was who I really am. We were being family.
Then Imo’s husband grew somber and looked Becky and I in the eyes and said with such intense sincerity, “We are your family now.”
What a treasure I have in this family! Those are the words I have longed deeply to hear. Leaving my family in the US was the worst pain I have ever experienced. Before I moved over here, I had been praying for God to grant me a Muslim friend to grow close to and ease that pain. But I had also begun praying a wild prayer asking for a whole family in light of the promise of Mark 10:29–30: “There is no one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms for my sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age…”
He is so faithful and abundant! I asked for one friend, but He heard my faint cry for a whole family! I feared being alone out here. I feared leaving my family. I feared never really connecting to the people here. I had no idea He had this much goodness awaiting me!
I am so fulfilled and over-filled with His abundant provision of sisters and brothers and cousins and mothers and more love and acceptance than I ever imagined!
There is simply no better way to get to know God than to obey Him. He is worth it, and He will satisfy. If your obedience means going to Muslims in their homelands to demonstrate and declare the mercy of God, we’d like to help you.
Let’s talk. You can start your Journey here.