sometimes frustrated...

It's frustrating sometimes trying to share Christ with high schoolers who often times seem, at least on the surface, to have it all figured out pretty well. Nothing seems like it can go into that fortified wall of set being. It seems like time after time, our effort as teachers or as chapel speakers seems to be all for naught. No matter how cool or great or awesome our presentation or message or production might be, we might as well be talking to a wall of bricks. I guess in comparison, 3rd culture kid high schoolers most likely don't even compare to some others who are much more hardened of heart -- some of you may be able to relate.

I was reflecting on that and came to the realization that part of that line of thinking is my own lack of faith. It's not my place, nor any other teacher or speaker here to do the saving. This I already believe, we are called to plant and water, but it is the Lord who will grow. The Lord is going to move in the hearts of those that will be saved, and it is only He who will see and know the real results of any heart movements. Clearly, He is entitled to know and see someone's status with Christ before me.

This makes sense, but is still challenging. We live in a culture and world that involves experiencing some sort of tangible result. If we study hard in school, we see a result of that in good grades earned or colleges admitted to...even if we do something poorly, I don't know, like washing clothes, mixing whites and colors and putting it on the hot water setting -- we see a result. We end up with something. And so our work in trying to share the glory of Christ with others takes on a unique dimension.

We may never know if someone in their heart comes to know and lives for Christ. I don't even think we should expect to see those types of results -- it is something that is priviledged between the Father and that person. We can sure hope for tangible results and "real-time" changes. If they come, that is better of course, an added bonus. But we could work for 50 years in preaching the Word of Christ everyday, we could live overseas all our lives, we could give everything we own to advance the gospel. In doing all of that - we still aren't entitled to see a result.

This is something that is still hard to come to grips with. The problem is that my first understanding was a cultural/worldly one, and I am trying to understand something that is Heavenly and not of this world through those worldly glasses. I want to see results!! Show me the money!! That's not how God works though, and I need to trust more of that.