2 major lessons God taught me in 2008 at Gospel for Asia

Learning On Submission

Before giving my life to the Lord, during 8th grade and 9th grade, I struggled with anger as well as submission to any kind of authority. Whenever I would get in trouble for something where I was clearly guilty, I would always rebel to the authority over me. After giving my life to the Lord, my rebellion towards authority was no longer an issue since the Lord had made me a new creation. But during the first part of my internship with GFA, I found that I struggled with the authority over me. It wasn’t so much seen on the outside, but I struggled with submission to authority in my heart. During my internship we read through many books; one of the books that God used to grow me was Touching Godliness Through Submission by K.P. Yohannan. God really used this book and the Bible to show me why we should submit to the authorities over us. The work that the Lord did in my life during my year at GFA gave me more of a respect for our
leaders and an understanding that we should pray for them.

Why should I pray for my leaders and submit to them? The answer is in Hebrews 13:17, which says, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Learning also from the life of David, we can see how King Saul hunted David and tried to kill him. But then when David had the perfect chance to kill Saul, he didn’t, because he recognized Saul as the Lord’s anointed over him. It was for God to judge Saul and not for David (1 Samuel 24:8-13)! I was encouraged by this as I read through 1 Samuel and saw how David respected the Lord’s anointed, which was Saul. During my year with GFA I had a couple house leaders (each at different times), and through God teaching me on submission I grew to love these brothers and have more of a respect for them because they were the Lord’s anointed over me for the year!

Going Through Trials

In my house’s bible study it was a blessing to have studied through the book of James as well as getting to study the life of Joseph in Genesis. I think we studied these passages because the Lord was wanting to teach me some things that I would want to know in an event that would happen in my life. In August my biological Father passed away unexpectedly and then I was in the midst of a trial. It was hard and I didn’t feel like doing anything nor did I feel like talking to anyone. I honestly just wanted to give up my faith and I was very exhausted to have to go through this trial. It’s so interesting to me how nothing bad had really happened in my life since I had been a believer but the moment I leave home to go serve the Lord and grow in the Lord, that is when bad things started happening in my life. Even though I’m sure the Devil was behind some of this to kill and destroy my life and my calling, I know the Lord had a plan for my life. The Lord was going to use this situation in my life to grow me and He had a plan He was working out for good. James 1:2-5 says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. I knew to have joy in this trial because God was going to mature my faith! Even though I felt like giving up I knew God still needed to be praised. God gives and takes away and our hearts should still choose to praise God. I needed lots of wisdom from God in order to get through this trial and reading through James I was encouraged to see that if any of us lacks wisdom we can just ask God for it. The beautiful thing about God giving us wisdom is that He loves to give it to us and even though we are wrong and at fault in so many things God doesn’t let that disqualify us from receiving His wisdom or understanding on things! In trials we have the promise that God will be with us, giving us His wisdom and he’ll never take us through something that is too hard for us to endure.

Think about the story of Job in the bible who lost his family, his house, his wealth and just everything! I lost my dad but I didn't lose nothing compared to what Job lost. What was Job's reponse always? Job always reponded by saying in Job 1:21, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job responded with praise towards God! Tragedy will someday come in your life and I pray that your response would be to still praise God and to always look at the good this will produce: the maturing of your faith! So much of the bible gives us insight into life's problems and tragedies...stay in the Word and you'll find out that God is so good!!!

Genesis 50:9-20 says, But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Joseph was mistreated by his brothers, sold into slavery and went through many other trials. But in all of this Joseph responded with praise and respect towards God. After the death of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph would repay back the evil they had done to him. But Joseph’s response was that he was not in the place of God to judge and God had a plan he was working out for good. How I was able to apply this in my own life during what I had to go through with my father passing away was being able to still praise God and give him all the respect He deserved. God had a plan he was working out for good and I could hold on to that promise. Now that I look back on it I have seen God work out that plan and it has been good!