Living in the Mountains
By now, I bet you’re thinking, “I bet Victoria is a mountain woman!”
Well, maybe you aren’t thinking that, but I am sure loving life here!
I also know this is exactly where the Lord wants us to be.
As I told you before, we are living in the mountains and building a church here. We are building the church out of bamboo, rock, and clay—an older, more traditional Honduran form of construction. Our hosts wanted to re-introduce this original cultural form of construction into the community in which we are doing ministry because it is economical, eco-friendly, and resourceful;
Their goal is to keep evangelism holistic, including building this church!
I, personally, love that! (If you know me, you know I’m pretty holistic; I believe that everything God made is all very connected.)
Now, before you call me a hippy-Christian (which is fine, by the way—I probably am), know that living a holistic life, with everything centered around and pointing to God, is where we are called—and there is more than enough scripture to back it.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ -Matthew 22:37
We are Stewards of God’s Creation
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” –Genesis 2:15
We Must Take Care of Our Bodies
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We are Called to Care for our Minds
“God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7
“Cease striving, and know that I am God.” –Psalm 46:10
“Be strong and do the work.” -1 Chronicles 28
We are required to care for our Souls
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” –Matthew 16-26
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” –Psalm 62:1
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” -Psalm 42:11
We are Called to Honor God in Our Work
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” -Colassians 3:23-24
We are Meant to Live Life in Community
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” –Psalm 133:1
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” –Acts 2:46-47
We Must Live in the Spirit and in God’s Word
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” –John 14:26
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” -2 Timothy 3:16
We Are Called to Live in the World, and yet not of the World
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” –Romans 12:2
We Must be Ready to Share our Light with the World Around Us
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” –Peter 3:15
Our Spirit is Communicating with God in Deeper Ways Than We Can Understand
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” –Romans 8:26
All of these things are backed by God’s Word and led for us by God’s Spirit;
They are all extremely interwoven and fully connected in ways beyond our human understanding.
I encourage you to ask God how you can serve him more holistically, and see what He tells you.
He might teach you something about your lack of faith in his provision over your finances through the way he speaks of feeding the birds and clothing the flowers.
He may lead you in the Spirit to work on your mental health with a counselor or within a Celebrate Recovery program at your church, originating back to a talk with a dear friend or family member.
He may lay a person upon your heart during your lunch break or in your dream tonight—pray for that person because that’s probably the Holy Spirit within you urging you to pray for that individual.
Though we are many parts, we are one body and one Spirit, all connected more than we can humanly comprehend. Believe it.
Trust that that Lord has deeper spiritual weavings for you, and be willing to be woven into that beautiful story as you commit to serving Jesus with your life wholly and holistically.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” –1 Corinthians 10:31
