Glorifying God in Our Differences
I have never given much thought as to why the world has so many cultures and ethnic groups. I just took all of these different cultures at face value, appreciating them most for the wonderful food options :) In Fiji, for example, a popular food is called Lovo, pictured below. How yummy does that look?!
Anyways....I was doing some reading this morning for my Perspectives class, when a new thought dawned on me. All of these cultures bring glory and delight to God! In Genesis 11 we learn about the story of the Tower of Babel. All of the people spoke the same language. That thought just blows my mind! Can you imagine if EVERYONE spoke the same language and had the same culture and background? Sure, some things might seem easier, but how boring would that be?? No different food choices, no festivals celebrating countries' unique history, no unique architecture, etc.
The Lord saw they were all going to stay in one place, with one language and unity of thought. He could have left it like this, but instead he decided to "confuse the language of all the earth." This is how he made the peoples spread throughout the earth! (Genesis 11:9)
This variety and creativity in the cultures allows for greater worship and glory to be given to God. In Is God Colorblind or Colorful?, Miriam Adeney says this: " God created us in his image, endowed us with creativity, and set us in a world of possibilities and challenges. Applying our God-given creativity, we have developed the cultures of the world." This creates a beautiful image in my mind of the Lord finding delight in all of these differences. This means that we shouldn't try to make every culture the same, but instead we should be embracing these differences as a gift from God!
You don't have to go to another country to see an experience these differences. These differences are seen everyday - from how your family celebrates holidays to the way service and worship is run on Sundays. Yes, there are cultures and values that need to be changed. We live in a sinful world, so it is no surprise that our cultures and systems reflect that. We need to pray and spread the gospel to those who haven't heard. But our goal isn't to make that culture like ours - the goal is to worship and give glory to God through these differences!
This makes me even more excited to witness the culture in Fiji! Instead of being anxious and nervous about what these differences might look like, I can look forward to God being glorified in these differences!! I can embrace the fact that their worship and service isn't going to be like mine. I can look forward to meeting others and learning about their language, food, history, values, etc. As long as these people are loving and worshiping God, they are bringing him glory, which he rightly deserves! I can't wait to learn from other cultures and see God being glorified in new ways :)
I will be setting up an e-mail list for my newsletter, as well as to provide updates in the future, especially during my trip! If you would like to be added, please e-mail me at ahs7990@hotmail.com. :)
As always, if you feel that God is calling you to help support the spreading of his gospel in Fiji, please consider being a financial support team-member!
Here is a link to some more food that I will get to enjoy in Fiji!!
Anyways....I was doing some reading this morning for my Perspectives class, when a new thought dawned on me. All of these cultures bring glory and delight to God! In Genesis 11 we learn about the story of the Tower of Babel. All of the people spoke the same language. That thought just blows my mind! Can you imagine if EVERYONE spoke the same language and had the same culture and background? Sure, some things might seem easier, but how boring would that be?? No different food choices, no festivals celebrating countries' unique history, no unique architecture, etc.
The Lord saw they were all going to stay in one place, with one language and unity of thought. He could have left it like this, but instead he decided to "confuse the language of all the earth." This is how he made the peoples spread throughout the earth! (Genesis 11:9)
This variety and creativity in the cultures allows for greater worship and glory to be given to God. In Is God Colorblind or Colorful?, Miriam Adeney says this: " God created us in his image, endowed us with creativity, and set us in a world of possibilities and challenges. Applying our God-given creativity, we have developed the cultures of the world." This creates a beautiful image in my mind of the Lord finding delight in all of these differences. This means that we shouldn't try to make every culture the same, but instead we should be embracing these differences as a gift from God!
You don't have to go to another country to see an experience these differences. These differences are seen everyday - from how your family celebrates holidays to the way service and worship is run on Sundays. Yes, there are cultures and values that need to be changed. We live in a sinful world, so it is no surprise that our cultures and systems reflect that. We need to pray and spread the gospel to those who haven't heard. But our goal isn't to make that culture like ours - the goal is to worship and give glory to God through these differences!
This makes me even more excited to witness the culture in Fiji! Instead of being anxious and nervous about what these differences might look like, I can look forward to God being glorified in these differences!! I can embrace the fact that their worship and service isn't going to be like mine. I can look forward to meeting others and learning about their language, food, history, values, etc. As long as these people are loving and worshiping God, they are bringing him glory, which he rightly deserves! I can't wait to learn from other cultures and see God being glorified in new ways :)
"Within the vision for God's glory lies the substance of true unity between churches. With a jealousy for unique glory to come to God from every people, we can easily set aside demands for uniformity of worship and conduct. We can delight in the variety of styles of righteousness, peace, and joy, while increasing in jealousy for the commonly confessed singular truth in the person of Christ."
Steven Hawthorne, "The Story of His Glory"
I will be setting up an e-mail list for my newsletter, as well as to provide updates in the future, especially during my trip! If you would like to be added, please e-mail me at ahs7990@hotmail.com. :)
Prayer Requests
- As of right now, there are not enough people registered for my Perspectives class. If more don't register, they will have to cancel. I have already learned so much from this class, and I know it will be a tremendous help in preparing me not only for Fiji, but missions in general.
- The group at Pioneers is starting to get busy preparing groups for trips this summer, so please keep them all in your prayers! They have a lot to do and coordinate to allow others, including myself, to go on these trips.
- Please continue praying for the long-term missionaries in Fiji. I pray we are able to serve them well!
Financially
- Send your donations directly to Pioneers using the support slip, which can be found here.
- Give online at www.pioneers.org/give/missionary using my account #175146. Please note there is a 3% deduction from your donation amount if you use a credit/debit card. There is no service charge when using an e-check option!
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