I just got back from Tanzania with Compassion International.  They help meet the Physical and spiritual needs of children all around the world. 

These trips always have an impact on me. I mean how could they not?  You are seeing unimaginable poverty, but at the same time meeting people who have dedicated their lives to changing the lives of children trapped in the cycle of poverty.  It is humbling to be in their presence because it is real hands and feet type faith.

I wish my faith felt as alive here as it does when I am in Africa. At church here, I am the “hands in the pocket” guy during worship. But in Africa I am dancing and worshiping with reckless abandon.  (Reckless is the right word because I almost took some people out.)

Here, I expect to be served and waited on, but there all I want to do is serve others.

Here, I pray but not with the same passion or intention as I do there. I found myself praying for just about everything and having a constant conversation with God throughout the day. Here, I want to hear from God, but I tend talk the whole time.  There I could listen and hear Him better.

Here, I can be super selfish and there I was grateful for all the little things. I was thanking God for things I would not even really pay attention to here, a meager meal, a cold drink, my health, working wifi. I attached God to just about everything I was experiencing.

Here, I rely on myself, but there I depended on God so much more.  It was the kind of dependence that I once laughed at people for having because I saw it as lazy reliance instead of them having personal resilience.

Here, I try to fit God into my busy self consumed world. There I found myself thinking more about God and my place in His story.

After sitting with this for a while I wanted to figure what was so different about my faith here vs. there. I think it comes down to a few things.  First, distraction.  The devil doesn’t have to destroy us to render us useless.  He just has to steal our focus.  That is what the best magicians do. They get you to look over "here" while they are doing something over "there" and that is when they have you.

Here, I am so busy with things that aren’t necessarily bad, like work or hobbies. But these types of things occupy space in my head and distract me from spending time with God.  There, the distractions are far less and that allows you to feel God’s presence more.

Second, control.  Here I want to control everything. In places like Africa there are so many things that are completely out of your control so you rely heavily on God.  I sat with people who had literally nothing to their names, but you could feel their joy.  That is because they were relying on God’s promises and provision every day. When you live like that and you see God do what you could not do for yourself it builds a very deep and impenetrable bond.

Finally, Service. When you are serving God by serving others you cannot help but think about Him more and you less.  Learning to see the big in the small and feeling the beauty of God’s call changes you.

I got to serve some of the Compassion kids a meal.  For some that was the only meal they would have that day and it was my job to make sure they each got one piece of meat in their rice. Here, we get frustrated when our Chipotle burrito bowl isn't overloaded and there, kids are relying on God to feed them a small meal.  I got the blessing of God allowing me to play a small part in that.  I made sure their bellies were full, but I have to tell you, it was my heart was completely stuffed that day.

I share all of this hoping that if you are running a little low on faith right now, this will encourage you to give God more space in your life so that your “here” can become “there” and turn into “everywhere!”

If you want to find out more about what sponsoring a child can do for them and you, Click here!