Stepping from fear into faithful urgency

United States (MNN) — As President-elect Trump moves closer to inauguration, the world is tracking his every step. But all the speculation cannot predict what’s next for the United States. With a biblical and international perspective, Amie Cotton of Christian Aid Mission reminds us we really can trust God’s plan.

She says, “We have had an unprecedented election and there’s been so much banter back and forth with Facebook. We do have to remember that through all of this, God is sovereign and it is He who removes kings and establishes kings, and what man meant for evil, God uses for good.”

International perspective

Christian Aid assists more than 500 ministries in over 100 countries around the world, and what they’ve seen is that Christians tend to focus even more on ministry when they face trials and challenges. During hard times, the Gospel moves. One challenge in particular is active hostility towards Christianity.

“We see this all the time when anti-Christian governments come into power, and even though there is persecution and hardship, the Church grows and it’s amazing to see God’s hand work in it,” she says.

She references India as an example. In 2014, the government became more hostile towards Christians. Because of this, native missionaries rely on personal, one-on-one evangelism. It’s been incredibly effective as they know the culture, traditions, and social environment in the particular states they work.

One of their contacts shared recently they’ve seen their Hindu neighbors come to Christ because God has answered needs in ways that their false god can’t.

“That’s the kind of transformation that we’re seeing — it’s personal and it’s people individually coming to faith in Christ and seeing Jesus really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Fear v. Urgency

There is a difference between Christians who react to uncomfortable change in fear, and those who react with urgency to spread the Good News.

Cotton explains: “If we don’t know the character of God and His attributes, His holiness, His mercy, His lovingkindness, then we don’t know we can trust Him. And if we don’t study Scripture and know how He’s been faithful in the past, then it’s hard for us to trust Him to be faithful with us.”

Cotton gives a few suggestions for how Christians can actively seek to grow their faith in God’s plan. First, start with the Bible paired with an attitude of humility.

“I think we have to lay our lives down and our wants and desires, and our dreams and our hopes, and know He has the best plan for us and to rest in that plan, to seek after that plan, to stay in His Word, to stay close to Him through prayer, to stay in that right relationship with Him.”

She also suggests looking at modern examples of God’s work. Christian Aid has many stories on what God is doing all around the world. You can find those here. In addition, they recently published a blog post that discusses examples from the Bible where God uses negative situations to bless His people. Click here.