I Can Do Nothing

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24

Hey everyone, I am supposed to depart from the Dayton Airport in less than 24 hours from now, and I have been thinking about what is getting ready to happen. Over the past few weeks, the question that I have been asked quite regularly is “What will you be doing for six weeks in Swaziland?” I typically tell people that I get the opportunity to work with orphans, play some soccer, do some math tutoring, work with the youth in a couple of different churches, help with any construction, painting, or cleaning that is needed, take gifts to impoverished neighborhoods outside of property that I will be staying on (called homesteads), and the list goes on. I will admit that most people respond with words such as “Wow” or “You are doing such a great thing”, but the problem lies with the “great thing” that I will actually be doing. The New Testament book of Galatians has given me a different perspective on this. Reading from the message translation, there are a couple of phrases that have rocked me over the past week. “Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you.” “Don't be impressed with yourself.” “It is not what you and I do…It is what God is doing.”

This leaves me with two contrasting options. The first is that I can start my journey to Swaziland with the best of intentions to make everyone’s life better, asking God to bless it every step of the way….or I can choose the second… that is to focus not on what I can do with God’s help, but instead on what Christ has already done and what God is presently doing.

It seems that even Jesus Himself chose the second option, making the following statement in John 5:19: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.” God has been doing great things and working miracles in Swaziland, so who am I to think even for one second that I am going to go and do some great thing?

This leads me to another verse in Galatians. “For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself.” So, God’s purpose for me going on this trip is summed up in one word….LOVE. It is not to do some great thing, give some great gift, or even have a great time, but it’s simply to….LOVE. My prayers have been that God would allow me to enter into what He is already doing in this country that so desperately needs a touch from God and to….LOVE.

That being said, I would like to invite you to not pray for me, but instead for the people in Swaziland. If you are not sure what to pray, here is a short but very important list:


-- The pastors, the church leaders, parents, and grandparents
-- The 60+ orphans that live in homes on the two properties where I will be staying
-- That the churches in Swaziland would continue making disciples
-- That God would save Swaziland from the predicted HIV-caused extinction (statistics show that in 10 years if the country continues in the same trend, it will cease to exist).

Until All Have Heard,

Chris