Humble Words

Currently I am reading two really good books.  (Actually, I’m in the middle of about six right now…I am a slow reader and easily interested in other books.)  But these two in particular are really good.  One is called Give Me this Mountain by Dr. Helen Roseveare.  She was a missionary to the Belgian Congo in the 50’s and 60’s and is the realest, rawest missionary I’ve ever read about.  (e.g. “For myself, it was only as I allowed the Lord to show me my own pettiness, or willfulness, or pride, in different circumstances and problems, that I became willing to let the Lord teach me of Himself.”)  I wish I could meet her.  Her book is very encouraging because she is not shy about sharing her shortcomings, how people were always correcting her, how she was selfish and failed in a lot of things.  She makes me feel like a real, normal person.  One excerpt that I wrote below was said by one of the lead missionaries in her area as they talked about missionary successes…

“If you think you have come to the mission field because you are a little better than others, or as the cream of your church, or because of your medical degree, or for the service you can render the African church, or even for the souls you may see saved, you will fail.  Remember, the Lord has only one purpose ultimately for each one of us, to make us more like Jesus.  He is interested in your relationship with Himself.  Let Him take you and mould you as He will; all the rest will take its rightful place.”

…to make me more like Jesus…

…not even for the souls I may see saved…

…for Him to take me and mould me as He will…

Every day when I wake up and think, “I don’t know what I’m doing,” I pray for the grace to remember that I am not anyone’s savior, I cannot fix people.  That is Jesus’ job and I am freed to love people and cry with them and laugh with them. 

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6).  This makes me so thankful – the process of transforming me more and more into the image of Christ is a promise.