Resolution and Renovation

This morning I was reading about the dream of King Solomon and the choice he made…he asked the Lord for wisdom.

I have been told many times that if you want to learn something well, teach it. Louise and I have been teaching clergy and lay folk in the Anglican Church in Southern Africa about how to make disciples. That, in itself, is a challenge. But this past week, we examined the character of the disciple-maker according to the character of the One we are meant to emulate…the One in whose footsteps we are meant to follow…the Lord Jesus Himself.

As we encouraged our trainees to examine their lives according to the life of Christ, I heard that still, small voice softly whispering in my ear. “Johann, are you living according to these priorities? Are you dependent on the leading and guiding of My Holy Spirit? Do you seek Me out in prayer as often as you could? Are you always obedient to Me? Is your life centred on My Word? Do you exalt Me in and through your life? Are you as relational as I am?”

I have been pondering these questions ever since, asking the Lord for wisdom as to how I am to respond to this conviction. Unlike so many Lenten resolutions that vanish like mist before the sun, I want this to be long lasting and deepening with time.

I tend to get so busy “doing the Lord’s work” that I miss the Lord Himself! The Lord Jesus knew full well what the disciples would have done had He not told them to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the Promise from the Father. Surely those long days and nights filled with prayer and supplication had an impact on their character…waiting, trusting, watching…all the while not knowing quite what to expect.

Louise and I have recently moved to the little village of Villiersdorp, about 2 hours drive from Cape Town. The reason for moving was, for the most part, financial as we simply could not afford the rent of the flat we were living in…not while we had a house to live in elsewhere! But now, I am beginning to see another angle to this move…Villiersdorp is a quiet hamlet…a place where one can wait on the Lord without disturbance.

Of course, we are far from idle! Shortly after we told our tenants that we would need our home and that they ought to find alternative accommodation, they had a mishap and nearly burned down our kitchen! Thankfully, we were insured and so renovations began almost immediately after we moved in. It is nearing completion as I write. But so much still needs to be done…some walls and parts of the ceiling are still black from smoke and need to be cleaned and repainted.

We are also hoping to get more involved with the local community, especially those less fortunate in the informal settlement above the village. Just how we are going to do this remains to be seen, but more than likely it will be with and through the local Anglican Church, St Augustine’s. Training continues and we will be travelling yet again in the beginning of March to teach Strategy.

Then, we will be winging our way over to the US of A, hopefully to see you!

We still have no definite speaking engagements, but trust that we will be hearing from you soon!

Pray with us for wisdom as we continue to wait on our Lord. Like our home, we too need renovation!