Home Assignments, Mentors, and Pure Emeralds

We’re half way through our 4-month “Home Assignment”. We’ve spent quality time with family and friends, and currently are reconnecting with people at Parkside Church. My mentor has urged me, “Kep, less is more this time back in the States – make sure to get time alone with God, grow in your relationship with Debbie, and get some rest”. So during our stay, amidst the busy activities of meetings and time with people, we have added extra space to read, pray, reflect and learn. It’s been refreshing.

One area the Lord is speaking to me about personally is my impatience and need to control things. This shows up when ministry and relationships don’t advance as quickly or in the ways I had expected. High expectations may be a virtue, but it becomes sin where it damages relationships, morphs into criticism, or fails to rest in God’s sovereignty. So taking time to identify this, repent of it, and ask God to help me be patient has been helpful!

In my time in the Word I just finished reading the book of Acts. Luke’s central point is God’s Sovereign leading in the advancement of the church He loves. My personal application is to thank God every day that He is guiding the leadership of the church we planted in La Paz! He is moving Equipping Servants pastoral training groups forward to bring church leaders to maturity as they study His Word! Knowing and believing God’s Sovereign leading brings comfort!! It brings peace knowing that He will use even difficult situations to shape other people and me into the image of Christ. Resting in God’s good plan as He advances His Kingdom, makes everything be about Him; it reminds us that we are servants of Christ; it affirms that He must become greater and we must become less! That’s why our daily repentance is central to our growth and usefulness in His Kingdom!

Recently I was with my mentor talking with denominational leaders about starting Equipping Servants pastoral training in the city of Bogota. We had free time one afternoon so decided to visit their world-famous emerald museum. What we learned is that there are few places in the world where emeralds are found naturally. One is Colombia. It takes 6,000 years to form an emerald. Beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen bond under intense heat and pressure to form this gem. The greater the heat and pressure, the purer the emerald. No heat, no pressure -- no jewel.

It’s pretty much the same story in God’s economy. He uses heat and pressure to make His people like Christ. He takes the difficulties and pressures of our life and guides us by the loving hand of His Spirit applying the truth of His Word to shape us! He gives perspective to our minds and hearts to build a faith and form in us convictions and patterns that reflect His presence! He develops in us His wonderful qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. That’s why James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Heat and pressure are all God’s grace to make us like Christ as we learn and grow!

We value your prayers during the last half of our Home Assignment, that the Lord will help us learn important lessons as He draws us to Himself and make us increasingly useful instruments in His redeeming hands.

Thankful for your partnership with us in ministry in Latin America,

Kep