Matthew 6:33 was instrumental in our decision to go to Uganda. This post isn't so much a reflection on the passage, as an example of how God applied Scripture to our lives in a practical way.
Near the end of our decision process about where to serve the Lord overseas, we were faced with the choice of going back to Malawi, or going to Pader in Uganda. It was a really difficult choice. There are so many things about going to Malawi that would have been wonderful; we know what it's like there, we know there's a great community that would readily accept us, we know the culture/language (at least somewhat!), and the positions that were open to us were really exciting. Malawi fit into everything we wanted and would have asked for.
Yet our hearts were drawn to Uganda - increasingly so ever since we'd heard the stories of the medical mission team from our church that went to Pader with Emmanuel International in September 2010. Uganda also seemed to pop up everywhere, in the most random places and conversations. Everything was "Uganda! Uganda! Uganda!" - to which I (Marianne) responded, "Um...I don't know about that Lord..."
Nobody wants to base such a big decision, however, on what could simply be a sequence of coincidences, or an artifact of human psychology (to more often notice the message we think we're supposed to hear). No, the biggest factor pulling us to Uganda was that if you asked BOTH our church and our organization, "Where would you send us?", both their answers would have been the same.
Pader, Uganda.
At that point, there was one last barrier to overcome in solidifying our decision for Uganda - and that was the possibility that our jobs in Uganda would not be as easily transferable to other "Canadian" jobs upon our return. In other words, choosing Uganda now might make things harder later.
Mike brought up this issue one night late in our decision process - as an issue that he was unsure I was aware of, though he too felt the pull to Uganda. This issue hadn't occurred to me, and made me question. God wants us to be good stewards. Mike was aware of his role as provider for our family - which is why he made the issue known. Was this a stewardship issue? Should this be a factor in our final decision?
As we prayed that night, the LORD put a verse in my head, from which I felt comfort in the verse, though I didn't remember where it was from.
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you.
The next morning I was doing my regular devotions. My daily reading was Matthew Chapter 6. It spoke of storing up our treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy. The "ears" of my heart perked up. It seemed very applicable to the worries that had surfaced the night before. The next section spoke of not worrying - about what we'll eat or what we'll where - for God knows our needs and will provide for us.
"I'm listening Lord..."
And then there it was. Matthew 6:33:
"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you."
As if that weren't enough, the next night a man at Mike's fellowship shared a word from the Lord of something the Lord had been teaching him in his own life, and his testimony revolved around the same verse.
Did this mean the Lord was saying, "GO TO UGANDA!" ?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I think the lesson that can be drawn from this example is the principle underlying it. We had many reasons already why to choose Uganda. The one factor standing against Uganda was wondering whether the consideration of the "attractiveness" of the positions for future job opportunities was a concern that needed to enter the decision-making equation. In this instance, God's answer was, "Seek Me! Seek My Kingdom! Seek My righteousness! And don't worry about the rest."
In effect, the Lord released us from this worry - and we were free to make the decision we both knew He was asking us to make. Do we believe He would have blessed us in Malawi? Absolutely. But we both had a sense that while He would bless us there, that He had more in store for us in Uganda...if we had the faith to accept the challenge.
See first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you.
Near the end of our decision process about where to serve the Lord overseas, we were faced with the choice of going back to Malawi, or going to Pader in Uganda. It was a really difficult choice. There are so many things about going to Malawi that would have been wonderful; we know what it's like there, we know there's a great community that would readily accept us, we know the culture/language (at least somewhat!), and the positions that were open to us were really exciting. Malawi fit into everything we wanted and would have asked for.
Yet our hearts were drawn to Uganda - increasingly so ever since we'd heard the stories of the medical mission team from our church that went to Pader with Emmanuel International in September 2010. Uganda also seemed to pop up everywhere, in the most random places and conversations. Everything was "Uganda! Uganda! Uganda!" - to which I (Marianne) responded, "Um...I don't know about that Lord..."
Nobody wants to base such a big decision, however, on what could simply be a sequence of coincidences, or an artifact of human psychology (to more often notice the message we think we're supposed to hear). No, the biggest factor pulling us to Uganda was that if you asked BOTH our church and our organization, "Where would you send us?", both their answers would have been the same.
Pader, Uganda.
At that point, there was one last barrier to overcome in solidifying our decision for Uganda - and that was the possibility that our jobs in Uganda would not be as easily transferable to other "Canadian" jobs upon our return. In other words, choosing Uganda now might make things harder later.
Mike brought up this issue one night late in our decision process - as an issue that he was unsure I was aware of, though he too felt the pull to Uganda. This issue hadn't occurred to me, and made me question. God wants us to be good stewards. Mike was aware of his role as provider for our family - which is why he made the issue known. Was this a stewardship issue? Should this be a factor in our final decision?
As we prayed that night, the LORD put a verse in my head, from which I felt comfort in the verse, though I didn't remember where it was from.
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you.
The next morning I was doing my regular devotions. My daily reading was Matthew Chapter 6. It spoke of storing up our treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy. The "ears" of my heart perked up. It seemed very applicable to the worries that had surfaced the night before. The next section spoke of not worrying - about what we'll eat or what we'll where - for God knows our needs and will provide for us.
"I'm listening Lord..."
And then there it was. Matthew 6:33:
"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you."
As if that weren't enough, the next night a man at Mike's fellowship shared a word from the Lord of something the Lord had been teaching him in his own life, and his testimony revolved around the same verse.
Did this mean the Lord was saying, "GO TO UGANDA!" ?
Maybe. Maybe not.
I think the lesson that can be drawn from this example is the principle underlying it. We had many reasons already why to choose Uganda. The one factor standing against Uganda was wondering whether the consideration of the "attractiveness" of the positions for future job opportunities was a concern that needed to enter the decision-making equation. In this instance, God's answer was, "Seek Me! Seek My Kingdom! Seek My righteousness! And don't worry about the rest."
In effect, the Lord released us from this worry - and we were free to make the decision we both knew He was asking us to make. Do we believe He would have blessed us in Malawi? Absolutely. But we both had a sense that while He would bless us there, that He had more in store for us in Uganda...if we had the faith to accept the challenge.
See first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and these things shall be added to you.