Piece 2: Idols

It's been awhile since I last updated so here is the scoop on the latest in NMB.  Every week has a theme which is integrated into basically everything we do on project that week.  The second week we focused on sharing the gospel every possible minute we had.  It was crazy to see the lengths that people would go to just to make sure others were hearing the gospel.  Whether it was sharing in the midst of a tropical storm or doing outreach until four in the morning, everyone was always excited to have a opportunity talk with others about God.  By the end of the week, everyone was exhausted, but there was so much rejoicing in everything that had occurred that week.  Over 800 people heard the gospel that week alone.  On the last day of the week, someone calculated that a person was hearing the gospel every four minutes during the course of the day.  A verse that comes to mind in all of this is 2 Timothy 4:7- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  Regardless of how stressful and tiring the week had been, it was totally worth it because Christ is worthy.
We were in for a surprise concerning Week 3.  The theme was all about building community with each other.  This meant we could only communicate by face to face interactions.  So for seven days we couldn't use any technology.  At first I thought it would be hard, but as the week progressed I realized how much technology is an idol in my life.  It was incredibly freeing to not have the distraction of my phone or computer for the whole week, and I realized I can survive without them.  Another part of the week involved serving each other.  This included doing small services of encouragement for each other, in addition to one crucial rule: You can't make your own meals.  This meant that a roommate or friend had to prepare all your meals for you even if it meant they had to get up extra early.  We all learned how to humble ourselves before each other and ask for help.  At times it was hard not to feel like a burden, but it was great to see us pull together and do things in love for each other.  It's crazy how quickly we have become a project family the last couple weeks here on project.
God has taught me so much about the idols in my life the last few weeks.  From tangible objects such as my phone or longboard to less tangible things such as time or sleep, God has shown me that all of these things have little significance in terms of eternity.  We never know when our day or someone else's day to leave this earth will come, so we must always be ready and willing to share the gospel with those around us.  A stranger's eternal destination has much more significance and importance than something so trivial such as Facebook.  When we develop a mind set on sharing the gospel with others, we realize that nothing else can give us that much satisfaction or joy.  If Christ was willing to die in our place, the least we can do is serve Him by sharing this good news with others.  Isaiah 44:9 says, "All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit."  Only things for eternity will last.