Freshman | Pepperdine

Rick Warren wrote, “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning,” essentially stating that life without God renders life meaningless. That a relationship with God is essential. To imbue life with true purpose means to pursue an intimate love relationship with the Lord. We are to present ourselves before Jesus to allow Him to work his purpose through us. And so, I took STSM as an opportunity to proactively live a meaningful life in a foreign country for an entire month. 

But I lost sight of that true purpose throughout the trip in the midst of daily tasks. Our first week in Nicaragua was packed with VBS ministry serving at KCA in the morning and various church plants in the afternoon. This tight schedule led to physical fatigue and consequently, my personal time with the Lord dwindled. I failed to prioritize my relationship with the King before serving his kingdom, which affected my heart.

Our second week in La Amancia working with the Jovenes members and Unity Church came with unforeseen difficulties. Serving under the new leadership resulted in constant battling of judgment and criticism in our hearts. With the excuse that we were busy, I avoided practicing spiritual introspection which led me to simply go through the motions. And therefore I was attempting to care for God’s children with my broken love instead of loving out of an overflow of Jesus’s perfect love. 

God rebuked and revealed himself in perfect timing on the second night in Matagalpa. I got the opportunity to talk with Missionary Loida about her testimony. She shared the backstory of why Iglesia Clinica Espiritual was built and her heart for the children living in that mountain city. At that moment, I felt a glimpse of God’s heart for His children in Nicaragua. Through that conversation, the flaws in my perspective were exposed and my outlook on serving began to change. 

By the grace of God, He restored the vision of true purpose in my life as a reminder for the rest of the trip. I was blessed with so many moments where I got to experience God giving purpose to areas of missional life that seem ordinary. 

Especially when practicing relational ministry, I had to constantly remind myself to seek faithfulness over fruitfulness. In moments where interactions seem so mundane, I realized it is okay to be unable to comprehend how this could bear fruit and glorify Him. Because God will work in his divine ways which we as humans can never fully fathom because that is what requires faith.

The latter half of the Rick Warren quote says, “You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.” Ecclesiastes tells us that everything we do is in vain, referring to those without God who are living a life in vanity that does not make sense. The underlying conclusion from King Solomon’s wisdom is that we should live to obey God knowing that we will face His judgment. Since my time here is limited, I must act with that much more urgency to underscore the emptiness and futility of life without God.