When people find out that I am heading out for full-time ministry in Colombia, they usually have one of two reactions. The less-common reaction is “Where is that again? South Carolina, or North?” When I explain that I’m actually going to Colombia, South America, the response is something like, “Ooooh. Okay. Sweet.” The more common reaction to the news is “Colombia? Isn’t that dangerous?”
I’ve believed for a long time that the safest place we can be is in the center of God’s will. I’m safer in His will in the middle of the Colombian jungle than I am outside of His will sitting here in my recliner here in my apartment. I’m confident that I’m in His will right now in preparing to leave, and as I step out and go, I will walk out in the center of His will.
There’s something else about fear, though. The greatest natural thing for me to fear in Colombia is that something might happen to me. I could get kidnapped. I could die. (Couldn’t you die today, also? It’s important that we keep perspective… each of us could be living our last day.) There is something greater to fear than my physical safety.
2 Corinthians 11:3 says, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” We all face a danger that we might somehow start believing the enemy’s lies. He is a liar, and the father of lies… and he will do whatever it takes to lead us away from devotion to Christ. He lies to us about the works we need to do. He whispers that it doesn’t matter if we don’t spend time with Jesus. At every turn, the enemy is ready to get us to disbelieve God about His goodness… just like Eve did.
In the plethora of stories about cross-cultural workers that I’m reading, they all seem to have one thing in common. They come to a point of discouragement. The work is too big, the money is to short, the help is too little. Yet each of them eventually recognizes what lie it is they’ve believed and comes out victorious.
What lies are you believing today? Think through it and take care of it… because that’s even more dangerous that physical threats. We don’t have to be afraid of anything. We can walk in complete victory because the power of Satan has been broken. Walk it out!