While we are on the subject of addressing foundational issues, here is something the Lord has been showing me. As I mentioned in our last post, we are asking God to “convict the Mwinika of those foundational issues that He seeks to address in their lives.” For Him to do that with the Mwinika He first must be able to do that with me. I can’t be used by God to help others learn profound spiritual lessons if I am not first allowing God to teach me those lessons myself. The principle is found in Genesis 1:11. God ordains that each type of plant and tree reproduces “according to their kind.” This principle is not limited to plants and fish and animals. It is a spiritual principle. I can only reproduce/disciple after my own kind. The sort of believer that I am, that is what I will disciple other people to become, whether it is my family or in ministry.
It is like this mango tree that is our yard (pictured). This is the first year that this tree has produced mangos. Hopefully it won’t be the last. But each of these fruit contains a seed that if planted, will produce more mango trees. God ordained that it to be so. I specifically bought this type of tree from the nursery because I wanted this type of mango. Now I am getting what I asked for (and I am very happy about it). As I compare it to ministry, I have to wonder if God is happy about what He is getting. He planted us here in this village to bear fruit, and the sort of fruit we bear in our ministry will depend directly on what sort of tree we are. Without a doubt, we will reproduce what we are. If I want the fruit of my ministry, the sort of disciples that I reproduce, to be good fruit, then I must first be that sort of disciple myself. People often ask how they can pray specifically for us. There are lots of prayer requests in the ministry, but the most basic one is that we are allowing God to change us into the sort of disciple wants us to be. We want to be in a place that He can feel good about allowing us to start reproducing ourselves. Just like our mango tree is beginning to enter a new phase of its life, we too are beginning a new phase. As we embark on this important phase of ministry, the phase of publicly and openly declaring God’s message to the Mwinika people, please pray that we will allow God to be forming us into the sort of disciples that He wants us to be.