For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
“I gave as an offering my all to Him Who had won me and saved me, my property, my fame, my health, my very words… In considering all these things, I preferred Christ. And the words of God were made sweet as honeycombs to me, and I cried after knowledge and lifted up my voice for wisdom. There was moreover the moderation of anger, the curbing of the tongue, the restraint of the eyes, the discipline of the belly, and the trampling under foot of the glory which clings to the earth.”
Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390).
Yesterday, I talked about the Tiny House project. And today I want to show you a picture.
The village of Posad-Pokrovske, just north of Kherson, had 2,800 people only a couple years ago. Today, it has about 1,000. Many were killed in this little town, and others left when their homes were damaged or absolutely destroyed.
Before the conflict, only a few people went to church in Posad-Pokrovske. Now about one tenth or around 100 of the 1,000 in the village follow Jesus. They prefer Christ and attend the local church because of the care they have witnessed.
Again, on this note, in collaboration with Sasha Volyanyk (who has served more than two decades with YWAM and also serves as GTP Country Coordinator for Ukraine), GTP has launched Ukraine: Project Tiny Houses. Click to learn more. Work with your church or small group to pool together $7,500 to build a home for an IDP (internally displaced person).
One thing I love about this project is the location and mobility of the Tiny Houses. They are situated on the person’s property, so they can rebuild their damaged home whilst having a temporary dwelling. And it can be moved easily if the conflict escalates.
And yet, seeing the temporary dwelling there reminded me of a profound truth. We are all here on this earth for a short, temporary time. Soon we will depart for our earthly home. What if we all live simply (and help others have a simple shelter) pour God’s money into building our eternal homes? What if we all did that instead of using money to pursue earthly passions?
It’s Passion Week Thursday, the day our Lord washed the disciples feet as an example for how He wants us to serve others. Would you join me in preferring Christ to earthly passions?
When we give to help the hurting, we show by our actions (which is all God cares about) that we prefer Christ.