If you were to look at my World Race packing list you would see a variety of hiking shoes and warm athletic clothes. You would see a typical set up of what you would pack for a one month trek through the mountains. But as I sit here in Albania surrounded by people in cute platform shoes and denim mom jeans, I am realizing one thing: the Race was not what I expected.
Don’t get me wrong, the Race has not been easy. This morning I washed my hair in a freezing cold sink because I didn’t want to walk a mile and a half to the nearest gym. It is nearly impossible to get alone time, unless you decide to go out of your way and hike a mountain. But still, I am far from complaining because I have had all that I need and more. Specifically with this host, I have a loving family to stay with, authentic Albanian cuisine, clean water, and a bed to sleep in.
One big thing God has been teaching me is how to let go and have fun. Specifically to have faith like a child and accept the good gifts that my Father has given me. Life doesn’t have to be so serious, and I’ve realized that i have been so passionate about serving God(which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) that I have adopted a servant mentality.
But heres what Jesus says:
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you”. -John 15:15
So I then refrain from serving God? Absolutely not! But it should not feel like a duty, a quota I have to meet. And honestly… it has up to this point.
But here’s the thing, as soon as I said “okay God, I’m just going to live my life and not have an end goal of achieving a gospel conversation”, conversations were put right in front of me. One of these was sharing the gospel with a 9 year old, and her accepting it without a second thought. She is literally going around telling everyone “Did you know that God is alive and lives inside of us?!?”.
God has been faithful to challenge me yes, but I’ve found that the burdens I have accepted have been self inflicted. God continues to reveal the ways I have been relying on my own power rather than his, and he asks me to relax and let go.
So the question I would like to ask myself and you(if you have as accepted Christ as Lord) is this: Are you walking in the freedom that God has given you? Or do you still see yourself as His servant?
I believe that he wants to show you how much of a friend He really is.
