Faith makes a fool of what makes sense

A week from this very moment, I will be waking up in Guatemala for the first time in three years. As my close friends and family are well aware, my last trip wrapped up with...we'll say stomach issues and an IV to keep things pleasant. In fact, each of the 5 international missions trips I have been part of have resulted in severe illness and the occasional hospital visit. I do not make this point for sympathy, but certainly for prayer and to segue into the topic at hand in my first post: illogical faith.

According to Dictionary.com, vulnerability is defined as "capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt." One could look at this one line and easily, even automatically, arrive at the conclusion that quite frankly, they do not want to be that. As a Christian, I have seen scores of college students and elders alike cringe at this word. While I strongly believe the Lord has designated certain people as "goers" and others as "senders" when it comes to missions, I also believe that a lack of vulnerability is a primary reason many people do not ever consider themselves for the former category.

Prayer, accountability, and true worship before God all require vulnerability–an opening of our hearts to the Lord that already knows what they possess. The Lord demands that we be vulnerable for his name's sake, allowing him to transform our hearts and send us into the world to do crazy, illogical things. I have found that God often calls us right back out of our comfort zone, requiring full focus on him. David Platt said "We have an indescribably, incomprehensibly great God who has looked upon a sinfully depraved people and sent a scandalously merciful Savior–and as a result we have an indescribably urgent mission."

This mission is why I go. I have had much family over the years encourage me to remain in the United States for missions work. There are people within our churches who have this calling and so wonderfully love and serve those around them through their efforts, but I have been called to go. I know and can say confidently that, as of the first 21 years of my life, the Lord has continually called me elsewhere. Safety, health, and comfort aside, I have been called to unadvisable areas with a dangerous, life-changing message. The Lord does not need my efforts for his name to be glorified, but my only possible response to his love and grace is yes.

I rejoice in the opportunity to be illogical–to be criticized for the purest passion that burns within me. I rejoice in the suffering of being called for his purpose and the privilege of knowing why. I rejoice in our Father and an impossible-to-comprehend grace and love that he pours over us. I rejoice in being vulnerable with the one, true God that gives me his Spirit to become more like Christ.

I hope to be vulnerable with you and I hope you pray with and for me and our team as we make final preparations and allow God to finish molding our hearts. Pray for the people of Central America.

God is great–let us make much of his name and little of ours.

In His Service,

Vince Gouge