Status

It is amazing how quickly things can change within a culture! In the last few months, Kristin and I have observed that motorcycles (the little 125cc bikes we call motos) have gone from a normal mode of transportation to a status symbol and way to be "cool". Big, 1,000 cc motos have made an appearance and have become quite popular with the young male crowd. It is not possible to drive these ginormous bikes slowly and carefully, instead you must zoom down the road, weaving in and out with no care for pedestrians. Coming home from the grocery store today I was almost run over by a crazy man on such a moto, who was more interested in impressing his girlfriend than watching the road.

These things are scary when they are coming right at you! 

It is easy to let other things define us, determine our status. It might be our possessions (even I wouldn't mind a lovely cherry red Honda Dream someday), our relationship status, our job, our degrees, our family, and the list could go on. Can I let you in on a little heart secret? Years ago when God was first burdening my heart for unreached peoples and far-off places, I delighted in the thought of people knowing I was a missionary. Somehow this vocation was a cut above the rest. "Perhaps now I will get the attention/respect/etc., etc. that I so wanted in high school," I thought, because somehow a title could give me a special status, define me. Oh, how wrong I was. First of all, living in a foreign country, carrying the job title "missionary" is NOT higher up on the totem pole than any other work God might call us to do. I was full of pride to think that it was.

Truthfully, all too often I look to outside things to define me, to give me a higher status. But instead, I need to look to my Heavenly Father. Here's what He had to say to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 10:17: "For The Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes". It is not about our status but the Lord's status, which is AWESOME! He is far above what our little minds can imagine, ALL-powerful, and yet He chooses to love us. He chooses to gift us and call us and put each of us in a unique position in order to bring Him glory and speak His truth.

Love God, walk in His ways, serve Him with your whole heart, and obey His commands (Deut. 10:12-13), and don't let status become the idol of your heart! (#Preaching to myself)

This is much more my style- but purely for transportation, not status! 
(2011 Honda Dream)