25 December 2007

INVALUABLE LESSONS
The Fruit Of Faith

By Rayola Osanya-Nyynéque,
Nairobi, Kenya

My wife and I recently travelled from Nairobi, Kenya to attend the 10th anniversary service of the church in the capital city of Rwanda, Kigali. The Lord had sent us to plant the church there initially. Here are some lessons that I learnt that encouraged me, which I hope may encourage others as well.

INCONVENIENT TRAVEL

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13,14

Our trip was rough. For 20 hours of fellowship in Kigali we did a 66-hour round trip from Nairobi by road. We switched from one means of transport to another, taking a variety of buses, taxis, vans and motorcycles, lugging our baggage and bringing our 5-year-old son along with us. We traveled in the heat of the day and through the chill of the night. It was exhausting and I got sick. At one point the bus we were in had an accident with an on-coming truck (though thankfully no-one was hurt).

But is that any different from the Christian walk? The narrow road is rarely smooth, but our hope in heaven keeps us going. For my wife and me, our hope to see the inspiring Kigali disciples kept us going.

Q. What have you been through of late? Have you felt like giving up or lashing out?

There’s nothing wrong with the journey, it’s just God testing your faith. Show him that you love him, trust him, serve him.

INVINCIBLE SPIRIT

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

The disciples in the Kigali church have an invincible spirit. They are faced with so many challenges and yet they just keep on going. Illness, disease, unemployment, poverty, a history of genocide and ethnic conflict, large distances to travel to get to church, recently loss of several leaders in the church who fell away.

But the invincible spirit to serve God keeps them faithful. “I want the Kigali church to be an exemplary church among African congregations,” says Alphonse.

How often I grumble and complain and let things around me steal my joy. I must have that invincible spirit and not easily let things get to me and discourage me. My faith will be obvious and visible by my actions and progress – “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” 1 Timothy 4:15

Q. Is your faith invincible or invisible?

INDESCRIBABLE JOY

“But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

It’s hard to describe the feeling that we had, having been “torn away” for years from the disciples in Kigali. It’s hard to describe the feeling that we had seeing people we’d reached out to and worked with and seeing people who they in turn reached out to and brought to the Lord. This was evidence of God’s power. This was the source of our joy. The anticipation of this is what kept us going when the journey became strenuous and we were tempted to turn back.

It warmed our hearts and moved us to hear people’s words of gratitude. “I hadn’t met you until today,” a brother told me. “I had only heard of you, but I know that without you I wouldn’t be here today.” I’m not taking credit for anything, but I do feel the gratitude not only in the brother’s words but also in his heart. His joy to be saved is obvious.

In the last 10 years I have been through a lot (and haven’t we all!). Highs have been followed by lows and victories have given way to failures. Determination has sometimes taken a back seat to despair. But through it all, and on Sunday 9 December at the 10th anniversary service of the Kigali church, God has shown me that he has a plan for me if I will only walk with him and not walk alone.

God has a great plan for each one of us, if we will only have faith. And when we do walk by faith - faith in his power, purpose and his pleasing and perfect will - the fruit is a life of fullness and of dreams fulfilled.