Finding Security in God

 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
   my hope comes from him.
 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
   he is my fortress, I will not be shaken" 
Psalm 62:5-6

We are a people who tend to worry. We worry about about whether or not we remembered to set the alarm clock for the correct time. We worry about not having enough time. We worry about not having enough money. We worry about whether or not our boss will notice us strolling into work a few minutes late. We worry about what clothes to wear. We worry about whether or not the person we just met enjoyed our company. Let's face it: insecurities have, at one point or another, ruled our lives.

Several months ago, I witnessed a woman getting measurements taken at a dress shop. When the seamstress told the woman what size she needed, the woman burst into tears because the number was larger than she expected. Why do numbers have such an affect on individuals? Why do others' opinions control how we look and act? Why do insecurities cripple us? The good news is: They don't have to.

Most insecurities are able to be classified in one of two categories: uncertainty and image. When we worry about whether or not we will have sufficient money to pay the bills, or getting into college, or getting a job, or finding a spouse, we are insecure about the uncertainty that the future holds. When we worry about whether or not our professors or bosses like us, or how we did in the interview, or how much we weigh, or what to wear, we are insecure about our image. Insecurities are everywhere. I imagine that Satan certainly enjoys using these little tools to keep us from our Creator. Insecurities are detrimental to our faith because insecurities cause us to worry, and worry is the opposite of faith.

In Isaiah 7:9, the Lord says, "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Thus, we have a responsibility to combat our insecurities. This sounds so simple, yet application can be extremely difficult. We can even be insecure about our abilities to rid ourselves of insecurity. Before we realize it, Satan has woven us into a tangled web of self destruction that we refuse to believe we will ever be freed from. Gratefully, God's word can provide that freedom.

Insecurities that stem from uncertainty have a simple Biblical solution. In the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about worry. He says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26). In other words, if you think you are more valuable than a bird, then start acting like it! Birds do not worry about uncertainty, so you shouldn't either! Instead of putting your hope in what is uncertain, put your hope in God.

Insecurities that come from image are generally tougher to tackle. Our flesh tends to lie to us when it comes to self-image. And no, contrary to popular belief, this concept does not apply solely to women. Men can have just as many (if not more) image-based insecurities as women. I've known men with eating disorders, others who are addicted to working out, and others who take longer than the average woman to get ready in the morning. [As an aside, let me assure you, it does not make you any less of a man to be insecure about your image; It simply makes you human!] Regardless of what type of self-image you have, the Bible teaches that beauty is within. First Samuel 16:7 says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Sure, we can read this Scripture over and over again and still dislike ourselves. Our culture has set a standard for beauty, and even though that standard is a complete lie, we buy into it and refuse to let go. In a self defense class I took in college, the professor asked the class what would be safer: to walk home at night on a sidewalk or through an field. After all of the students answered with the sidewalk option, the professor corrected us. He explained that many times, sidewalks are lined up against bushes, streets, or buildings where it would be possible for an attacker to hide, sneak up on you, and take you out of sight in a matter of seconds. In a field, you would have the advantage of being able to spot an attacker long before any physical contact may occur. My perspective was shifted. The world was telling me that the sidewalk was the safer place, when in reality, that was not necessarily true. The world tells us how to define beauty, when in reality, the world's definition is flawed. The world certainly has us fooled.

I recently finished reading the book of Job, and since then, I cannot stop thinking about the Lord's monologue in Job 38-39 when God challenges Job with questions. He asks, "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?" and says, "Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this." In a nutshell, the Lord is scolding Job for complaining and trying to justify his own righteousness rather than trusting in God. Something tells me that if God were to come down and speak on the topic of worldly beauty it would go something like this: "Who are you, world, to define beauty? Who are you, world, to claim that people should be a certain size or should dress a certain way? Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?" I would imagine that these questions would go on for quite a while as God makes His point clear.

We can cling to worldly things and people who make us feel secure, but if they get pulled away, were they ever secure to begin with? If your security comes from your job, what happens when you get laid off? If your security comes from a significant other, what happens when you break up? If your security comes from having a nice car, what happens when it gets stolen? False security is the source of insecurities! Quit relying on false security, and start relying on God. Let Him be your fortress. With Him, you will not be shaken.

Visiting Orphans Merchandise!

A new blog post to come (hopefully later this evening!), but for now: a picture!  I was SO excited to see that my super cute Visiting Orphans "GO. BE. LOVE." t-shirts and acacia bead necklace (made by orphans and widows in Uganda) were in my mailbox today!!!

 

If you are interested in making a purchase, a portion of the proceeds will go toward my trip to Rwanda!  

***At checkout, specify fund category "Rwanda (Music and Missions) - May/June 2012" and team member "Amy Beth Coleman"

 CLICK HERE to visit the Visiting Orphans' store!

You can learn more about the trip in this blog post.
 
Please continue to pray for the financial support to come in and details to come together!   As we near May 23, please pray for the safety & dynamic of the team, the impact that we will make on the orphans of Rwanda, and for the changes that God will make in our hearts!

THANK YOU for your support!!!

Praying for the Lord's Mission

A couple of months ago, I was catching up with a friend from college who was on the university's baseball team. He shared with me an opportunity he had been given to travel to Africa on a baseball-themed mission trip. On the trip, he would be sharing the Gospel through teaching baseball to the locals. I was stunned at how incredibly well suited he and the trip were for each other. This opportunity was very clearly orchestrated by the Lord.

The farthest I have been from the United States is roughly 5 miles into Mexico, but I have been getting the itch to leave the continent for a missions trip. I want to be able to see first-hand what it is like to live in poverty. I want to learn about a different culture. I want to begin to break free from my ignorance. I want my heart to be broken for other countries around the world rather than live as though they do not exist. I want to not only see the world, but to see the world through God's eyes.

What I do not want from a mission experience is to take the first opportunity that comes my way. I do not want to travel for the sake of traveling. I want to make sure that I am equipped with the appropriate gifts to contribute to the team's work. I want the nature of the mission work to be something that I am 100% sold out to. After all, if I fail to fully give myself to a ministry, my effectiveness in that ministry is compromised. After hearing about my friend's opportunity, I began praying for God to show me where to go and what to do.

A common misconception is that prayer consists of a question, then eventually a response. Rather, prayer is a continual conversation that goes back and forth, requiring effort from both ends. It is worthless to pray for a specific provision, then sit still. Cautiously yet purposefully move in the direction of the provision while learning and testing the waters. When Isaac and Rebekah prayed for a child, they did not stop having sex and wait for God to miraculously answer their prayer. We know through Jesus' birth that God is certainly capable of immaculate conception, but it would not have made any sense for Isaac and Rebekah to be abstinent if they desired to have a child! Instead, they kept trying and eventually conceived. When I prayed for God to lead me to a trip, that was not my cue to sit and wait for an opportunity to arise. Instead, that was my cue to start doing some research, learn about possibilities, pray about those specific opportunities, and trust that God will allow one to stand out.

I began my research looking at Amazima ministries' website. Amazima was founded by a young woman named Katie Davis who has an incredible story of how she followed God's lead to move to Uganda after high school. (Katie is also an incredibly gifted blog writer!) My church had recently shared a video about Katie's story and collected an end of year offering to give to Amazima, so I had grown a heart for the ministry and thought visiting might be an excellent opportunity.

Through Amazima's site, I was directed to a website for an organization called Visiting Orphans. This non-profit sets its foundation on the command in James 1:27 to, among other things, look after orphans. As I scrolled through the list of available trips, I was specifically searching for a trip to Uganda to visit Amazima, but a different word caught my eye: "MUSIC!"

I've always loved music. I began singing almost as soon as I could speak, and it has grown into a tremendous passion of mine. I knew at that instant that God had answered my prayer for a mission opportunity. After completing the application process for the music missions trip, last week I was humbled to find out that I was accepted onto the team! I will be traveling to Rwanda in late spring with a team of musically gifted missionaries to spread the gospel to orphans through the means of music. I am so excited to be able to combine three of my passions (God, music, and children) into one trip that will surely change my life!

God may call some, like Katie Davis, to move to third world countries, He may call more to visit third world countries, and He may call others to stay put. Wherever He calls you, that is your mission field. You are responsible for being a light right where He has placed you. For the past twenty-some years, my mission field has been right here in North America, and I have learned to embrace it. If every Christian moved out of the United States, the chances of American hearts turning to God would be slim. Your duty to make disciples is crucial no matter where you are! However, it is important to be sure your worldly roots are shallow enough that if God ever tells you to move, you will be ready to go!

I know I will cherish my time in Rwanda: learning about the people, singing and dancing with the children, and enjoying what I've heard is a beautiful landscape. I pray that I make the most of my time there, am able to leave my worldly concerns in the US, and get lost in the mission of serving God. I pray that I can go into the trip with no expectations so God has plenty of room to teach and surprise me. I am sure the ten days will fly by, leaving my heart aching for more. But for now, I'm content with calling the United States my home. I am here for a purpose, and that purpose does not belong to me. For that, I am grateful.

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Please joing me in praying for the trip:

• Pray for the dynamic of the team (I won't meet anyone in person until we leave on May 23)
• Pray for the safety of the team
• Pray for the impact we will make on the orphans in Rwanda
• Pray that we do not return to the US unchanged

THANK YOU!