Japan Journal - May 26th

Definitely time for another post. For those who do check this regularly I apologise for the less than regular updates. It's not that nothing interesting has happened, quite the opposite. I find it really hard to know what to focus on as so much happens in such a short space of time. The result is either write loads, write nothing or spend a whole lot of time trying to walk the line. This time it's a long one!

The corner has been turned and I'm now looking down the home leg of my trip. The danger is that I begin to think more about what happens when I get back and take my focus off what's happening here. I prayed last night that I would have a genuine care for the people here and that I would be completely focussed on trying to reach them with the gospel. That my heart would be for Japan and not yet for England. God's response was not what I had in mind.

I spent the afternoon with Yusuke and we found ourselves in a bookshop for part of it. I wandered through the English books and ended up reading about the Samurai. Part of their focus is to have a constant awareness of death. They are supposed to spend every spare moment reflecting upon the closeness of death so that they will always live as if the moment they are in is their last. Not just a 'seize the day' philosophy but an awareness built upon genuine experience. For the Samurai, their next day could easily be their last. Living accordingly should make for a life focussed upon only on the most important things. Honour. Family. The life of a warrior. Although there was much I admired about their perspective, I was struck by the overwhelming lack of hope in what I was reading. They live for now, because now is all their is.

I've been reading a book on Holiness and the chapter I'm currently in is called 'The fight'. J.C.Ryle argues that the Christian life can never be one of ease and slumber, but for a Christian pursuing holiness it will always involve a measure of active warfare. We cannot 'sleep and doze along the way to heaven'. There is much in this world and even in our own bodies that would steer us from our course and we must be ready to fight them daily. Like the Samurai, the Christian is called to the life of a warrior. To fight daily for something that is worth fighting for. Samurai devote themselves to a system that requires everything of them. Contemplating death is supposed to stir them to life. Only they live without hope.

We on the other hand have an eternal hope. Death is not the end of our lives but the moment we are looking forward to most. The moment when we will see our Lord and saviour face to face. As we contemplate our own death we see the sacrifice of Christ and know that we can look forward to what is to come. We have heaven awaiting us. An eternity with the one who was willing to suffer death for our sakes. We know that what we do on earth has consequences that reach throughout eternity. We are fighting for a kingdom that will endure for all time.
Yet how often do we live like nothing we do really matters?
Are our lives completely devoted to a way of life that sees Jesus as our king?
Do we fight daily for a kingdom that has the power to save the soul from death and hell?

We have the greatest cause for hope and the greatest message the world could ever hear. May we never come close to 'dozing our way to heaven'.

That was the answer I got to may prayer to be focussed on Japan. My focus should not be Japan, but Christ and his kingdom. That's not to say I shouldn't pray for a heart for these people, I belive that is a necessary thing to have. But a heart that is first for God's kingdom to come and second for the specific people we are working with. Today I have been very aware that this day could be my last.
So how did I spend it?

I met with Alex and we talked about the work we are doing. We challenged one another that we should never be satisfied with tiny signs of encouragement. We should desire nothing less than for Christ to save all those he has led us to befriend. Not that we don't delight in growth or expect everything to happen in an instance. Only that we settle for nothing less than seeing people saved to a life of complete devotion to Christ.

I then sent a load of emails to meet up with students. Not the most exciting side of the work and therefore the side I am most prone to ignore. Yet how can I sahre Christ with people if I do not meet with them. Organisation can glorify God too, especially if it leads to people hearing the gospel.

I then met with Yusuke. Wednesday is bible study, Monday is English practice. We just chatted. Got to know each other better. Talked about hopes and dreams for the future. We shared our time and talked of things that were important to us. Pray that the better he knows me, the more he sees of Christ and his grace in my life.

Then went to the English speaking society and met a whole barrel of new people. Who knows which people I will be able to get to know better. Can't make friends if we never meet new people though. There was one guy who really struggles with social interaction and who was kind of ignored by the rest of the group. It was horrible to watch and I pray we will be able to befriend him. Not just so his life on earth is a little better, but so that he comes to see that the God who made him loves him and wants to have a relationship with him.

That was my day. Far from perfect. I lost focus far more times than I had it. I look at what I've written and most of it doesn't make sense, but it's honest and real and therefore I pray that God will use it. Please, if you take the time to read this, stop and take the time to look at your own life. Are you 'dozing your way to heaven'? That is not the life Christ died to give us. He fought for us that we might fight with him. Living every moment like it counts for all eternity.