What am I doing here?

If you couldn't tell from Joy's post yesterday we have had a string of difficult, frustrating days. Nothing major (other then David's sickness), but many of the little headaches that you get when you live in a country where you speak very little of the language and understand even less. Today mine was going to the bank to try to exchange traveler's checks (horrible idea just use ATM) After standing in line for 30 minutes, I get to the front to exchange them. After making my initial statement (which I spent 30 minutes going over in my mind) after a few brief comments from the cashier I am forced to say "Hablo solamente un poco espanol" (I only speak a little Spanish) and I don't even know if that is right. She then talks to several people and tells me she can't help me because I don't have my original passport because the school needs it for my Visa. So after an hour, I walk away with no more then an hours waste of time. It is then that the little thought passes through your mind "What am I doing here?". After that thought sinks in, you really do ask yourself "WHAT AM I DOING HERE!?"

I have come to realize that this is the best question I can ask because when I am forced to think of an answer I always have to come back to God's Word. So I ask myself, why did we come here to be "missionairies" in Mexico. While reading "Let the Nations Be Glad" by John Piper the other day, I was reminded why. To use Piper's words, (they are much better then mine)

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate not man"

I am here, every believer is here, to work in this world to help increase worship to God. We do this through the encouragement of the believer and the evangelism of the unsaved. This is why I am here. This is why you are wherever you are. Wherever we are in this world, we know that God desires their to be more and greater worshipers in that place. That is our job, to be used by him to increase worship.

After thinking about this, I am struck by the fact that the easiest way for me to increase worship is to do more myself. This means not feeling sorry for myself, not letting myself dwell in the "What am I doing here" questions forever, but worshipping and then doing whatever I can to increase the worship of others.

I think ultimately, even though its extremely frustrating at times, I have to thank God for this question and hope He never stops making me ask it.