Emily was a recent mission team member with one of our Nicaragua trips. She shared the following while on the trip and we wanted to share it with you!
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
– Luke 9:23 ESV
Denying yourself is NOT comfortable. Being uncomfortable is a quality of a disciple. The weapon of the enemy is comfort. Discomfort is the main ingredient for unlearning and life change. Here is something you can be sure of: God will make you uncomfortable so you can change.
Things I’ve learned since becoming a Christian:
- Willingness to depart from the familiar. If Satan cannot get you to go back, he will try to make you stay stuck where you’re at. If you enter a new season but have an old appetite, that’s your permission to return to your old places. Our “at least list” keeps us blinded to the fact that we don’t crave forward because we’re comforted by familiarity. It’s dangerous for you to be surrounded by spiritually deaf friends because they will criticize you based on what they see but they don’t hear what you hear.
2. Pursue the unknown, be curious over mystery. We often lose the mystery because we want to know the destination, the how, the when, the what, and that takes trust. How am I in Christ, but still feel lost? Unless you become like a child, you cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Children forgive fast, learn fast, and ask ALOT of questions. You’re not lost, you’ve been buried. Buried in the likes of social media, school or work, achievements, or money. You are buried under things that can burn and then you question how good God is by the lack of whatever it is you desire. The real you is not lost, you’re buried under what people think, what your friends say, what culture labels as success, and what a fake preacher told you.
3. Don’t mislabel the unlearning. Don’t make this mistake. “I am lonely.” No, you are unlearning people as a means of happiness. “This is so boring.” No, this is what peace feels like. You must unlearn chaos.
4. Surround yourself with similar diets. There is a war over your appetite and both heaven and hell want it. Why is there warfare over our appetite? Your appetite is directly affected and directly connected to your level of obedience. You cannot obey beyond the level of your appetite. Until I develop spiritual tastebuds for health, until I desire health, I will keep on consuming abuse, toxicity, and spiritual poison. Blessed are those hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled.
5. Find pleasure in Jesus. Through prayer, ask him to be your pleasures. Ask Jesus to teach you how he is so much better than your own desires. Temptation causes you to romanticize memories but forget the hangover.
Unlearning is messy, be comfortable in the mess so he can make you a messenger.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the opportunity to get together. Help us expose, reveal, and remove any pattern, person, or mindset in our lives that’s abusive or detrimental to our spiritual growth. Help us to walk in victory and not as a victim. Keep us hungry for you, Father. In Jesus name, Amen.
Emily Lin,
Metanoia Missions Team Member December 2024 – Nicaragua