Happy Friday. Our minds are always keeping us busy. Anxious, even. Is this the right decision? Should I have said something more? Am I doing all that I can? We find peace in bringing our thoughts and lives before God’s throne, giving thanks that he’s in charge. In our best moments and through our biggest mistakes.

In today’s edition:

• The only country in Asia with a Christian majority

• Rebellion in the Nordics looks… unique

• Secret Church is coming up! We’d love for you to join in

🌊 Am I letting God down if I don’t move overseas?

Wow, I have so many thoughts in response to this question! And I think it’s a common question. While not everyone asks it out loud, many people at least wonder about it in the back of their minds. So let’s think about it together according to God’s Word.

First and foremost, let’s make sure we’re thinking about this question through the lens of the gospel. I know this will sound basic, but it’s really important to start here.

Romans 3:23 makes clear that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In this sense, we have all let God down. More accurately put, we have all rebelled against God. And the greatest news in all the world is that God has made a way for us to be forgiven of all our sin by his grace alone through faith alone in Jesus alone. When we trust in Jesus, we become new creations and adopted children who are completely accepted by God and credited with the righteousness of Jesus himself. Let this reality captivate you every day: this is how God sees you!

Then, recognizing who we are in Christ, let’s think about how we’re called to live in Christ.

I always look to 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 as the clearest, most concise picture of what “success” looks like for life in Christ. Paul writes, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” That’s a reference to who we are in Christ: we’re his servants, and we’re stewards of the gospel. Then Paul says these important words: “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” There it is, what I would call the definition for success in the Christian life: faithfulness. The path to glorifying God is paved with faithfulness to God by the power of his Spirit at work in our lives. 

These biblical truths about who we are in Christ and how we’re called to live in Christ then lead us back to our question: “Am I letting God down if I move overseas?”

At the core of each of our lives, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and we want to live with faithfulness to Christ. Such faithfulness plays out in loving God supremely and loving others selflessly (Matthew 22:37–40), abiding in Christ (John 15:1–17), pursuing holiness (1 Peter 1:13–19), and following all the other commands God gives us in the New Testament (that, by the way, are all good for us!). That includes Jesus’ command for us to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18–20), as well as his purpose for us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth through the power of his Spirit in us (Acts 1:8). This coming Secret Church, we’ll study the book of Matthew and see that faithfulness means following Jesus and making him known in our neighborhoods and all nations (Matthew 4:18–22). All of the above is faithfulness for every Christian. 

At the same time, there is no command in the New Testament for every follower of Jesus to move to another country for the spread of the gospel. Instead, we see pictures of some followers of Jesus staying in places where the gospel has already gone, and other followers of Jesus taking the gospel to places where it hasn’t gone (see Acts 13:1–4). In other words, faithfulness for some means making disciples of the nations where they already live, and faithfulness for others means making disciples of the nations by moving to a new place.

What is required for every follower of Jesus is that we are willing and obedient to go wherever he leads us to go and do whatever he calls us to do, no matter what that means or what that may cost. 

This means we are free from comparison with others, thinking, “Well, if I’m not doing what they’re doing, I’m letting God down.” Instead, our eyes are free to be fixed on Jesus as we all live with a passion for his glory among all the nations and a resolve to play whatever part he calls us to play in making his glory known. And Lord willing, one day we will each stand before him, by his grace, and we will hear him say, in the words of Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

🇵🇭 Christians here need your prayers too.

The Details: The Philippines is a majority Christian nation. In fact, it is the only country in Asia that has Christianity as the national religion. 80% of the population identifies as Catholic and 3% as evangelical. 

While some Filipinos turned to Protestantism when the United States gained influence in the country, Protestantism today is often more commonly associated with medical facilities and schools that were established by American Protestants in the Philippines rather than with churches and genuine faith.

The Takeaways: Just because there is a large Christian population does not mean that all believers are grounded in biblical truth. Pray for sound teaching to be shared, for biblical resources to be provided, and that the Word of God would be studied.

Also, with a history of churches shaped by colonization, pray that the Church in the Philippines would be shaped by God. Lastly, pray that local churches and followers of Christ in the Philippines would be united together, holding fast to the faith and encouraging one another.

🙂 Is the happiest region of the world really happy?

Trends come and go, but there’s one you might remember hearing about on social media or seeing in books a few years ago. It’s called hygge—a Danish and Norwegian word for the idea of feeling contentment, happiness, and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. Mainly by creating cozy, simplistic vibes in your own home.

It has branded the Nordic way of life as the happy way of life. Every year for the past seven years, Nordic countries have ranked as some of the happiest countries in the world. First comes Finland, and following close behind in the ranks are the other Nordic countries—Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway.

Yet, as I’ve talked to people from the Nordics, they laugh when I mention that statistic. In fact, many don’t consider themselves as some of the happiest people in the world.

The Nordic countries have a higher suicide, depression, and mental disorder rate than other European countries on average. The search for happiness usually leads the younger generation to clubs, drugs, and alcohol. The Nordics rank on top when it comes to consumption of antidepressants, and Denmark has the highest youth alcohol consumption in Europe.

The Finns have a term, “sisu,” that doesn’t quite have an exact translation into English but is closely related to the term grit, meaning that they will push through anything. They’re self-sufficient, not needing anything or anyone…. including Jesus.

There’s also this idea called the Law of Jante, especially in Denmark. Technically, it’s a list of rules, but it's more a way of life engrained in the culture that has been passed down from generation to generation. Some of these rules include “Do not think you are anything special,” “Do not imagine yourself better than we are,” and “Do not think anyone cares about you.” The Law of Jante encourages individuals to submit to and be a part of their society. To not break the status quo. 

But do you know how some in the Nordics are breaking the status quo? They’re turning towards God in their search for fulfillment and happiness.

Many of those placing their faith in the gospel are part of the younger generation. 

In a region that’s known for a high population of atheists, we can praise God for the steady, slow Kingdom growth. And we can pray that more and more will find the true joy, peace, and purpose that doesn’t come from the world or their countries but only from and through Christ.

—Selah Lipsey

📍 Attention Worthy

• Secret Church 25: The Gospel of Matthew is just a few weeks away. If you want your physical copy of the Guided Scripture Journal (and you do!), make sure to register before April 2nd so it arrives in time.

• How does a church know if someone is ready to be sent out as a missionary? For the sake of God’s glory and the eternal good of those we aim to reach with the gospel, we need to know how to assess potential missionaries.

• Do you struggle with daily devotions? Do you find it difficult to understand what you’re reading in Scripture? Here are 6 Habits for Successful Bible Study.

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS:

Selah Lipsey, Steven Morales, Jairo Namnún, David Platt, Camille Suazo

MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT!