If you've read more than one post of mine by now, then you'll know that I love those kids in Haiti, and the pastors and mommas and so many others in Haiti. Last summer, God opened the eyes of my heart to see how much He loves everyone in the world, from every nation and language. I've tried to learn more Creole each time so I can better communicate with people when I'm there. In fact, that is my greatest challlenge and frustration each time I go, wanting to say so much to them about how much God loves them and I love them, but struggling with the language. Today in my daily Bible reading, I learned where my language struggles first started, with obedience (or lack of).
In Genesis 9, God gave the first command to go. It was just after the flood, and God told Noah and his sons to 'fill the earth'. (You can't fill it if you stay in only one part of it, right?). But as I read on into chapter 11, I see that they refused to go.
Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4 NIV).
They refused God's command to go and thought they had a better plan, and a way to make themselves famous. Because of man's pride and disobedience, God confused the language of men (creating different languages) and scattered them throughout the earth. Thanks to man's disobedience and pride so many years ago, today we have many languages and nations scattered throughout the earth, including the obstacle called 'Creole' that hinders my attempts to love others in Haiti. It's frustrating, but when I think about it, we've got no one to blame but ourselves. As sinful, proud people, we often think we have a better plan than God's plan, as if there was a better alternative to obedience. Because of this disoebedience on man's part, God created language differences in the first place. How many times have I done something similar and foolish? How many times have I disobeyed God and had to deal with the challenges that resulted?
Last summer, when I went on my first foreign mission trip to Haiti, I finally obeyed God's command to 'go'.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19 NIV)
Through that experience, God showed me how foolish and proud I was before, thinking that somehow one language and nation was better than another. I'm ashamed to admit that I was an 'American snob'. I grew up learning about the history of America and took pride in our accomplishments as a country. It's patriotic, right? But somewhere along the way I started to believe in the untruth that God loves one country over another, and one people over another. Somehow I missed the truth behind His command to go to "all nations" showed that He loves all people. His Word from 1 Peter 3:9 meant everyone from every nation and language.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
When I finally obeyed God and went to Haiti, I realized how much God loves all people, all languages and nations. Hearing others worship God to the same tunes of songs we sing, but in a different language will bless you beyond anything I could describe. Hearing them sing with more passion and genuine love for Christ than you've ever heard before will humble you instantly and cure you of any foolish national bias you brought with you. Ironic that obeying God's command to 'go' is the tool that opens our eyes to see all nations as He does and overcomes the language barrier created because of the disobedience of man so many years ago.
But that brings me back to what I read yesterday, also in Genesis. God had called out Cain's offerring for what it was, a less than best effort, which was disobedience. Cain was mad and sulking, and God called him out.
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:6, 7 NIV)
I have read those verses before and locked in on the last part, "sin is crouching at your door", and "you must rule over it", but I had been missing the key. God's rhetorical question to Cain at the start of verse 7, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" And there it is, the answer to so many of our self made problems, lack of obedience. If we do what is right, we will be accepted, commended, blessed by God. We wouldn't have to worry so much about sin and it's effects if we just choose obedience in the first place. I can't undo the disobedience the past. I still need to work hard at Creole to comminicate with those kids and other Haitians I love so much. But I can impact my future positively and avoid future problems. It all starts with obedience.
