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God and Efficiency
As I write
this, we are in our 6th month without written flight
permissions. These past few months have
been full of meetings, waiting, and more meetings. The team has worked on getting the planes in
ship shape for when we can fly again.
The pilots have been studying and staying current. The staff has invested extra time in training our national staff.
Many including me are putting in extra time working on language. It has been a time of introspection and
drawing closer to God. A school was
started in our new city for the children of our team. We have prayed for God’s blessing on this
land and our work here. But we really want to be flying again. Doesn’t it seem more efficient for us to have had our flight permissions yesterday? Couldn’t we do more for the kingdom though our flying. What about those people in the regions who need our help?
this, we are in our 6th month without written flight
permissions. These past few months have
been full of meetings, waiting, and more meetings. The team has worked on getting the planes in
ship shape for when we can fly again.
The pilots have been studying and staying current. The staff has invested extra time in training our national staff.
Many including me are putting in extra time working on language. It has been a time of introspection and
drawing closer to God. A school was
started in our new city for the children of our team. We have prayed for God’s blessing on this
land and our work here. But we really want to be flying again. Doesn’t it seem more efficient for us to have had our flight permissions yesterday? Couldn’t we do more for the kingdom though our flying. What about those people in the regions who need our help?
The thing is God’s definition of efficiency is much different than ours. At our small group last week, we talked about
this very subject. One
teammate quoted a fellow worker in Africa who said that God is not efficient as
we would consider efficient. The prophet Isaiah knew
this and spoke about it in Isaiah 55:8 as he writes that
God’s ways are not like our ways.
this very subject. One
teammate quoted a fellow worker in Africa who said that God is not efficient as
we would consider efficient. The prophet Isaiah knew
this and spoke about it in Isaiah 55:8 as he writes that
God’s ways are not like our ways.
Think
about it. In our thinking, the Christmas story was not very efficient. it was not
efficient for Mary to have to come all the way to Bethlehem to have Baby
Jesus. Why have the
Wise men to travel all those many miles just to see Baby Jesus. Weren’t there any wise men closer? Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to get
rid of Herod and save all those babies? To our human minds, it does not make
sense. Why would God go to all the trouble of bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and then send them to Egypt. But when we read the Christmas
story, we see how it all fits
about it. In our thinking, the Christmas story was not very efficient. it was not
efficient for Mary to have to come all the way to Bethlehem to have Baby
Jesus. Why have the
Wise men to travel all those many miles just to see Baby Jesus. Weren’t there any wise men closer? Wouldn’t it have been more efficient to get
rid of Herod and save all those babies? To our human minds, it does not make
sense. Why would God go to all the trouble of bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and then send them to Egypt. But when we read the Christmas
story, we see how it all fits
So as we
wait, we know that God is sovereign and has a plan. We acknowledge that His ways are not our ways as we look in anticipation for what He will do
in His timing. In the
meantime, we take one day at time trying to live faithfully in this
place. This has been a year with many
ups and downs, many joys and sorrows but God is good in the midst of it
all.
wait, we know that God is sovereign and has a plan. We acknowledge that His ways are not our ways as we look in anticipation for what He will do
in His timing. In the
meantime, we take one day at time trying to live faithfully in this
place. This has been a year with many
ups and downs, many joys and sorrows but God is good in the midst of it
all.
God, Help me remember that efficiency is a western concept not a God concept. May I be faithful to your plan each day even when it doesn’t make sense or seem efficient. Help me to wait in anticipation of seeing you work in this time and this place even if it doesn’t look like I think it should look. Work in and through me. In Jesus name, Amen
TJ
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