Lessons from Brazil - Part 1

Before I even begin to recount the events of my trip to Brazil, I want to share what I learned most about me and what God is doing in my life. I am not sharing this first because I think what I am learning is more important than what He is doing there. It is the exact opposite. It is because of the amazing work of the gospel in Brazil that I need to correct a sin issue in my life first so that I can faithfully share what is happening there.

I took two books to read on the many different planes we would fly. One was a heavy (literally) book that would take some time and thought to get through. I thought that would be a good idea considering how much time we would spend in the air and in the airports.

But on the two short flights we had to Orlando, I decided to pull out the shorter book that I thought would just be a nice, devotional read; a perfect filler for two short trips. So, I started Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney.

I didn’t finish that book on those two flights, not because the book is very long (only 169 pages) but because God really got my attention, and I had to read it much more thoughtfully and prayerfully than I originally intended.

God was softening my heart for what I would find in Brazil. When I got on the plane in Birmingham, my thoughts about Brazil could generally be summed up by, “Those poor Brazilians. It is a good thing we Americans are coming to rescue them from their miserable lives.” Of course, I never verbalized that. No good American Christian would ever say those things. And if you asked me to articulate my thoughts about Brazilians I would toe the party line and say that we wanted to spread the gospel to people who need Jesus.

But there was still an arrogance in my heart about this trip. I didn’t even realize it at first. As I spent those first two flights thinking on humility, God graciously showed me my sin.

I spent the rest of the week meditating and thinking on humility, especially in evangelism.

The problem with a sin like pride is that it is an attitude that can be subtly hidden in our hearts where people who aren’t looking will never recognize it. Oh sure, pride can be very obvious in some people, but it can also be just as opaque in others. The point is that it is an attitude that can manifest itself in many different actions. Looking for pride in a person cannot be as simple as examining his work. It is a deep heart issue, and those who are experts in pride have learned how to mask it well.

One way God revealed my pride to me was through my complaining. I know that complaining is wrong. Philippians 2:14 states that plainly. But the root of the sin of complaining is pride. Complaining is arrogance... rising up against God as if we are wiser than He. God has sovereignly chosen the circumstances in which I will live each day. When I complain about them, I am telling God that He was wrong to bring those into my life. Heat, humidity, long plane rides, delays, mosquitos, weird food, all of it… God in his wisdom planned those for me. He wanted to use them to shape my character, to make my faith in Him mature. He is the one who satisfies my heart. He is where my joy and comfort lies… not in cool weather or easy travel or familiar foods.

God was opposing me as I went into this trip. He had to humble me so that I would see this trip as He saw it: one undeserving sinner who received God greatest grace taking the message of hope in Christ to other sinners who are no worse than I.

I will share more about what God is doing in Brazil and how we can be a part of it, but I needed to humble myself first.