Is My God’s Love Really Big Enough?

This blog is from Team Uganda, one of our January short-term college mission trips. They left on the 19th and will be there until mid-May. The author is Hope Eberle. Check out all her posts and her teammates on their team blog. 

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

I say a lot of stuff. And most of it I say without really knowing what it means or judging the weight behind my words which can be both good and bad.
I’ve noticed that I say “I love people and I love lovin’ on people”. I actually say it quite a bit. It’s completely true, but what does “lovin’ on people” even mean? I guess it could mean just talking to people and being a good listener? Giving them the time of day and hearing people’s story and encouraging them? Being a friend when they have no one else or even writing a nice little note every now and again?
Nothing wrong there….people need that. They need to experience love and this is something that I can do for them. People need to be told that they are loved and that they don’t have to be lonely because of Jesus’ love.
 
But tonight I was talking to Pastor Charles and he was saying that the problems here in Africa are much different then the problems in the West. It’s not enough to say “Jesus loves you” because those words don’t mean anything here. The need for love isn’t as great as it is in America. People here in Africa know they are loved. No one is lonely because they know and understand their need for community. It’s almost impossible to be lonely here. You can’t even really be alone, trust me I’ve tried. The people here are so incredibly social. Being loved isn’t as revolutionary an idea as it is in the West. If you’re going to walk around here and talk about Jesus and His love you need to have something more to go with it.
They need something big because they have big questions, questions that are hard to ask and even harder to answer.
 
Is your God big enough to feed my children?
Is your God big enough to bring the rain in this drought?
Is your God big enough to get these voices and evil spirits to quit tormenting me?
Is your God big enough to rid my body of AIDS?
 
I know what the answer is.
The answer is yes…..
 
Right?
 
Then why can’t I answer those questions with confidence?
 
I should know my God is big enough and His love is big enough to answer those questions. I know that people are healed every day all over the world. Blind people see, deaf people hear, lame people walk, addictions are broken, people come to know and love the Lord by the thousands. It happens all the time. I personally have never seen any of this happen but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. I can confidently tell you Jesus is your comforter and best friend. But as soon as you have a question like that why am I hesitant? 
 
All of a sudden I find myself in a place where the way I have been “lovin’ on people” isn’t enough. I have come to realize that my love will never be enough because my love is still just a word. These people need love as an action. They need a God who will feed their children and bring rain for their crops. They need a God who will deliver them from demons and cure their bodies of disease.
 
This just shows me all the more my deep and desperate need for Jesus. I can’t do anything. It’s all Him. My love is weak and fragile. My love is selfish and vain. My love does not offer hope and a future.
My love is tainted and empty but God’s love is perfect.
My love is small.
But God, your love is big enough.
 
So go ahead, ask Him big questions.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

:And for more information, check out these links:

*Teams: Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, Southeast Asia, and India.

*Meet the Teams. Put a face with name. See who each of these participants are.

*Adopt a Team. If you would like to commit to following and praying for a team during these next four months, then check out the change that we have set for you.