Is Jesus all we need… If you believe in Him…the answer is easy…or is it?
If every thing you had is taken away from you….is Jesus all you need?
If you can’t go on…is Jesus all you need?
If there is nowhere to go…is Jesus all we need?
My reason for asking this:
I am part of a youth ministry that is expanding to a new African county – Mozambique – which is a beautiful country with a history of oppression, war, poverty, yearly natural disasters like floods, drought, hurricanes, thousands and thousands of orphans, diseases like Malaria, Cholera and AIDS are taking the lives of thousands of people yearly leaving more orphans and poverty struck people.
I’ve been there for the past 3 months, mainly in the capital – Maputo – which is fast growing city due to international investors that invest in businesses and beach side property. You see a lot of rich people, which is mainly tourists, and also the very poor that is trying to make a living or begging in the streets.
I got the privilege to go to a village more inland the past week where there are no investors, tourists or anybody that boost their economy, just the people living there and a few missionaries and non Christians trying to help the community in growing gardens with fruits and vegetables so they can have some kind of nutritious food and even maybe selling some of it to raise an income in the future. I’m explaining this so you can have a picture… very little food, little African reed houses, 7 and 8 year olds raising their little 2 year old orphan siblings… you kind of get the picture – we all see the ads or documentaries on tv…
So, I always tried to think about all my blessing whenever I went through a difficult time. I would think: “At least I have clothes to wear, food to eat, loving parents, a car, a work”, you know all the things we have. And even to people who doesn’t believe in Jesus, we would say that Jesus loves them, He died for our sins, and even with all our unbelief and doubts in Him He still bless us with health, food and all the stuff we take for granted – That is God providing… for you, for me, for everyone!
This is the problem I ran myself into – I had to give little bible lessons to this orphan children in the village, some not orphans but living also the same kind of life as those around them. Trying to explain to them – they spoke a different language so I had a narrator – that Jesus loves them… Now you might think: “Well the language thing is a problem but that little obstacle was overcome by the narrator…Yes, but standing there telling children who have no parents, go to sleep hungry more often than not, have AIDS, wearing the same clothes every day, being 4 or 5 years old and have to get up at 5 in the morning to walk with their siblings to a well to go and get water, living in nothing more than a one room reed house… that Jesus loves them, and care about them…and that God is a God that provides for His children…
That was not a Sunday school class where you tell the children to count their blessing and wasting water en food is not nice because there are children in Africa who doesn’t have any....THAT WAS THE CHILDREN IN AFRICA!!!
What struck me was that this children was not just physically hungry, but they were hungry for love and Jesus is love. And that is the only thing that I could give them.
That experience made me think, how Jesus’ love is all we need – practically – in everyday life… Would those children believe that a God really, really loves them in the midst of all their struggles?
My prayer is that the Holy Spirit could show them what I struggled to do. That He worked through me in my weakness.
I would love to hear your thoughts on ways to share Jesus with children who has nothing, who doesn’t know love, who doesn’t live in our blessed lives and no comparisons that we use can be given to them.
“Jesus, thank You for Your love, and even if we don’t understand it, we know that Your love is all we need-”
5 comments:
honestly, my friend, i'm not sure if the answer is the 'yes' that most christians want it to be.
i am thinking of that song by lifehouse - 'You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything. And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?'
i think that someone can have everything, except Jesus, and all that everything is like ash - a great nothing that cannot fill the void inside (the God-sized hole). however, if you have Jesus, there are many other needs that must be met for life, for abundant life that Jesus wants for us. there are other 'holes' that need to be filled by things other than Jesus.
'man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' - does not say that man lives ONLY on the word of God. man needs bread as well.
paradoxically, Jesus is more than enough for our needs AND not the only thing we need.
may you bring bread and the water of life to many.
lief jou nortje,
jones
Sjoe... Yes, I am not even sure what to say. I think Christians living in "poverty" understand something of being dependent on GOD, trusting Him for all their needs and loving Him for WHO He is and not so much what He does! Old cliche, but this actually makes them rich!!
We should learn from them...
Mmmm... Interesting thoughts Eric.... Makes me think! :-)
Keep it up Gwuanie!!
Who's excited Juan has a blog? Oo, oh, me!
Just more ways I can stalk you i all your wonderfulness!
Can't wait to keep reading!
Thank you, my vriend. i have often wondered about this...how can Jesus be all we need? yes, he has the power to give us what we need, physically and spiritually, but he does not often choose to swoop down upon us and change our physical circumstances at the snap of fingers.
i believe that our physical needs ARE important to the Lord, which brings me to not understand at all how there can be so much devastation in the world. i know it is because of various factors, one of which is unequal distribution of wealth, but i still do not understand. not at all.
i'm glad you are on blogspot, juanny.
thanks for writing.
hannahbeth.
Juan, Jesus is the only thing of worth we can give to anyone. No matter if they have nothing in this world or if they have stored up all the worldly riches possible,in the end Jesus is everything and the only thing that matters. Those kids can see Christ's love in your eyes and in your words and that gives them hope for a better world than what they have.
It is so easy for us, who have more than enough material blessings, to think in worldly terms, but Jesus does not promise material wealth in an abundant life, I believe He is speaking of an abundant life of love and joy in knowing and serving Him. Material blessings will never fulfill any longing of the spirit.
However, we are blessed with material things so we can bless others. I have already asked God how I can help the children you speak of, please let me know if you know of a way.
You and your team and the people you serve are in my prayers.
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