I am with you

Have you ever lived abroad for a longer period of time? Depending on which country you move to, it can be a big adventure or just a slight change. If you are a Canadian living in the United States, the transition is relatively easy: the people speak the same or at least a very similar language and there are also numerous cultural overlaps. Moving from America to Central Africa or Asia is much more challenging, as you will not only be confronted with a different language and sometimes even a different script, but also different cultural and social customs and a completely different climate. Your previously learned thought patterns and behaviors will no longer work in some situations or may even get you into trouble.

When you get to know Jesus, your thinking also changes. Instead of always thinking of yourself first, your thoughts turn to what God wants from you or what your neighbor needs from you at that moment. We often act selfishly, but love is selfless. The tension between our selfish nature and the selfless love of God, which we should also live, does not disappear immediately. It is a process.

We also see this learning process in the disciples. They saw and heard what Jesus did and were able to learn from him before he sent them out. Just like his disciples, Jesus accompanies you on your journey from the first tentative steps of faith to your steps of discipleship. However, you are not alone, because the community in the church protects, teaches and strengthens you.

Jesus gives each of us the task of making disciples. Perhaps you keep telling people about your God, but the spark doesn't seem to be ignited and you doubt whether Jesus has really called you to be a disciple. But it's not about the other person immediately confessing Jesus and being baptized, even though that can of course happen. But it can just as easily happen that you carry God's message into the world and have the feeling that you are making no difference at all because people react negatively or at best neutrally to the best news in the world. But God's mission is not a sprint, but a communal marathon. Because some people “plant” the gospel, others “water” it, while God lets the “seed” grow in people.

Next Step: How are you doing on your journey with Jesus? Ask Jesus to show you the next steps on your journey and bring all your fears and worries to the cross.