3 Lessons from Belize

Hi friend! Happy Tuesday Wednesday!

I did it.

I actually missed a Tuesday.

While my journal will still have 52 emails this year, breaking the streak of being on the same day is crazy.

So we’re moving on together and hopefully doing it better this time 😅

Weekly recap is below mixed in with the thought this week.

3 Lessons in Everything I was in Belize last week with a small team from the U.S. as we supported an NGO that focuses on discipling and training the youth of Belize.

Their heart is to see “Belize change Belize through Jesus Christ” which is the vision that keeps me coming back each year.

The entire trip taught me so many lessons, and a couple are below.

1. You don’t have to agree to understand, but you do have to understand to agree. In the course of my life, both work and ministry (work is ministry for me, I hate that we try to separate the two, but I did to make a point haha), I have worked with people whom I disagree with regularly.

One thing that holds people back from reaching their true potential, imho, and being able to make maximum impact, is sheltering in place and only working with people they agree with. It’s poisonous, again, imho.

So, by both assembling a team whom I knew I didn’t think identically with, and working with a team of directors and staff who make decisions I wouldn’t make if I were in their shoes given the same context, I was able to be both stretched personally and also to instigate micro changes which I never would have seen or known had we all thought alike.

The key; seek understanding. It’s ok to disagree. Shoot, we need to talk about disagreements more, in a civil, respectful, and loving manner. But even if we are 99% certain we won’t walk away in agreement, we can still seek understanding and find ways to work together.

(and this could make the team I brought down and the team we worked with sound like terrible people and like there was tons of division. That is totally not true. I see clearly how and why each team member (both with BOC and BCE) was part of this trip - none of it was by accident, and the people who seek to understand that know what I’m talking about - God is good and working all the time. But there were, genuinely, areas that we all thought differently about various things, and I choose to see that as a strength)

2. Excellence is not dependent upon agreement. Again, whenever disagreements arise, never, ever is it an excuse or cause for slacking in excellence. In other words, I am responsible for my own self all the time. The decisions I make, the words I speak, and the actions I make, are my responsibility, not someone else’s.

This again is a key area of weakness in our generation. We offset responsibility. We cast blame. We dodge proactive participation. Quite often subconsciously (which is simply an observation, definitely not justification).

It’s easy to think that because there is a point of disagreement or misalignment that relaxing and not putting in 100% (because what’s the difference anyway if no one else sees why I’m doing it) is ok. It’s not. I am responsible for giving 100% excellence 100% of the time.

And the truth is. I don’t. I slack off, I get tired, I miss the little and basic things that mean the most (I did this on the trip). I’m human. Just like you.

But that’s again not justification, it’s just reality. And so we press into Jesus and tap into an excellence that I don’t have on my own, pushing past to a level attainable only in Christ. Man does it take humility.

3. God’s working and faithfulness is not dictated by human effort or action. This is a dicey one apparently (so I’ve been told), but I don’t really care. The reality is that our God is not limited by whether we fully understand truth, fully walk in truth, fully speak truth. He is holy, perfect, and always faithful.

I saw this clearly as we interacted with young and new believers alike. God is working in their lives and their families regardless of how well they’re walking in accordance to His Word.

Don’t get me wrong, discipleship is totally needed, and changes will need to be made. But He’ll sanctify them in time - we trust Him with that process.

But I realized that we can so easily get into this rut - a dangerous rut - that casts a shadow upon people for not walking totally uprightly, and missing the working of God in their lives.

And being a pretty impatient person (not proud of it, but it’s true) I am so amazed by the patience of our Father in Heaven as He meets us where we are, and gently leads us to a better place. Again, He accepts all as they are, but requires a change (sanctification) which is lifelong (because last I checked, I don’t know a single person who is even close to perfect, myself VERY MUCH included).

And that encouraged me so much!

Again, I’m responsible for my life, seeking God’s Word, and changing/growing - but He leads and supplies all that we need for that transformation and I don’t have to fear not doing it perfectly. Because it won’t be. Ever.

But as long as I keep taking steps of obedience, I trust that my Father will provide everything I need for life and godliness through His Spirit.

What a relief and breath of fresh air!!!

Overall, the trip was a SMASHING SUCCESS. We accomplished every objective (and more) and I think every individual (both local and international) was challenged and presented with an opportunity to grow.

It’s up to each of us, individually, to now take that step to grow.

Very blessed by how God works, teaches, and leads.

It’s tough, so don’t be discouraged when life get hard. Anyone who says a Christian life is easy is lying to you :)

It's hard, but it really is simple.

And it's so, so worth it.