Giving up my "rights"

I don’t know if I have written about this before (I apologize if I am being repetitious), but I felt today that I needed to reflect some on my “rights” and what God asks me to do in relation to my “rights”. Let me begin by saying that this subject is something that I heard a career missionary speak about, and it has caused me to evaluate my life. Instead of repeating what I heard I will attempt to reflect on my own life and struggles in this area.
As naturally selfish beings we are born with the belief that we have rights to many things. Additionally, our society, and even our very Bill of Rights, affirms that belief. We believe that we have rights to: various freedoms, long life, health, wealth, happiness, etc. Therefore, since we believe that we have these rights we often will fight for them or at least become indignant and angry when we feel that we are not being allowed to enjoy them. I, for one, struggle with anger when I see that the government is more and more infringing on my “right” to practice my faith.
Here, however, I would like to suggest that God wants us to give all of our “rights” up to Him. I submit that if we give all to Him we will receive more than we could imagine. Do not misunderstand, I am not suggesting that we give to Him in order to receive a blessing. For instance, if instead of clinging to our right to have affluence and never know need, we say to God, “I give up my right to a good paying job, job security, and the nice sum in my investment accounts” , the only blessing that we may receive is the “peace that passes understanding”. We cannot give up our rights with the expectation that we receive back even more, but instead give them up because they are not really ours in the first place, and knowing that God knows a whole lot better than we do how to take care of those issues.
I would imagine that Abraham felt like he had a right to keep Isaac for himself. After all he was his only son. How could God ask him to give up his right to his only son? How could God ask Gideon to give up the comfort and security of a large and well-armed army when heading into battle? How could God ask Joseph to give up his right to his good reputation and marry the unmarried and pregnant girl, Mary? In all of these cases, and many more in the Bible, God had a better plan in mind. Could we not suppose that the same thing is still true today?
Though I do not in any way claim to have arrived, I would like to say that when I have been able to give up my rights I have found that I have been overwhelmed with peace, knowing that I no longer needed to strive or worry about the situation. How much easier it is to trust that God will take care of me than to try with all of my might hang onto my “rights”.

Honoring those in authority

I find these times to very challenging to me, not because of the “economic crisis” or because I am worried about my job or retirement account. Rather, I find it very difficult to see the direction that this country is taking, and at the same time “Submit myself for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men” (1 Peter 2:13). Now I have to put my money where my mouth is. During the past administration I often complained that I wished that instead of spewing hate-filled words against the leaders people would follow the Biblical mandate and pray for them. Now I find myself on the other side and it would be very easy to allow hate or anger to creep in when I see that the leaders are taking the country down a path toward increased immorality and death. I am challenged to pray for them that they could make wise decisions and that God could touch their hearts.
I am reminded again that I do not identify myself with an earthly kingdom (which rise and fall), but rather with a heavenly kingdom (which stands for eternity). When I dwell on these thoughts and promises I am able to be at peace in the midst of the troubles that surround us.

What I miss...

It has been a while since I have written anything new, but I suppose that most of you know that the last weeks have been a bit hectic so you will have to excuse me.
Readjustment (even temporarily) to life in the States has at once been easy and also very difficult. It has been easy and enjoyable to be around family again and to be able to sit and have good conversations about life. However, I have found the blatant materialism to be excruciatingly difficult to come to terms with. A trip to the store is overwhelming because there is so much stuff for sale that one could very easily be convinced is quite necessary for life, but having spent the last year and one-half in a place where most of that stuff does not even exist, I would have to say that not only is it not essential much of it is completely unnecessary. Sure, there is materialism in Nicaragua, but it is such a different scale that it is hardly noticeable.
I find that I miss the sound and the cadence of the Spanish language, but much more I miss the warmth of the relationships that we have developed. As I read through 1 Peter this morning I read in 4:9 “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” I realize just how “far ahead” of us the Nicaraguans are on this front. An example: A couple weeks before we left for the States we stopped over at a friend’s house as it was getting towards dusk. The lady of the house (she was the one Colleen wanted to talk to) was not there, but her husband was. We explained what we were there for and that it would be short visit, but he invited us in and told us to be seated. He had been working on hooking the wiring up to his house so that he would have lights when it got dark. Now I don’t know about you, but if someone showed up at my house towards dark and I was working on hooking up the juice I would say, “I’m busy, this is important, I can’t talk right now”.
Being back here in the hustle and bustle (even though we are not doing either) makes me realize just how much I appreciate that about the Nicaraguan culture.