Get Off the Sidelines
Everything we do has occupational hazards associated with it. One of the hazards I face in my travels around the world are diseases and parasites.
Shortly after I arrived home from a trip to Africa, I noticed some worms were growing in my arm. Carefully and diligently, I was able to remove four of the five worms from my arm. The fifth worm made his appearance when I was speaking to a high school in Augusta, Ga. He was removed from my arm and if you stop by the biology lab, you will find a jar labeled “Ben” that has my worm.
About now you are probably thinking, “Oh, my gosh, he had worms coming out of his arm! How disgusting!”
Having parasites in your body or being infected by a disease while serving God in remote corners of the world might not be your definition of following after Christ. However, we are not going to solve problems in this world unless we are willing to get in the midst of the problems and “get dirty.” This includes worms, parasites, diseases and spiritual problems.
If we hope to change the world for Christ then we must get off the sidelines and jump in the middle of the fight. We need to be salt in a barren land and a light shining bright offering hope to a world withering away in despair.
When we make that decision to join in the fight, we must remember what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:4:
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
There are no problems in the world that we cannot overcome with the power of the Lord within us. Let me personally invite you to join us at Rivers of the World (ROW) in our travels to some of the most remote regions—armed with the most effective weapon—the Word of God.
