This is God’s city

The last song that was sung today at church was Chris Tomlin’s “God of this City.” While listening to what was being said and singing this song, I was reminded that God indeed is the God of this city. I will admit and say that I used to be one of those people that thought that to be a missionary, you had to leave the United States so when I was placed as a US-2, I was a little disappointed. However, ministry is everywhere and there is a need for the presence of Christ to be everywhere, even in the United States.

So, I was placed in Dallas, Texas. I came to Dallas not knowing much about the area and even though I have only been here for 8 weeks, there is stuff that I am seeing, hearing, realizing, etc. However, there is still a lot that I don’t know and haven’t seen. Before being placed in Texas, I would have thought that there was no need for missionaries to be sent here, however, that’s one thing God is changing my outlook on. There is a need for missionaries everywhere.

One of my learning goals is to understand and realize where God is already working in Dallas and more particularly, in the neighborhoods and areas that the Dallas Leadership Foundation serves in. This is a hard goal since it’s not always easy to see what God is doing or where He is present when there is so much poverty and pain in the areas that we are serving in. The song “God of this city” was a good reminder that God is the God of Dallas and the neighborhoods and areas that we are serving in. But, the question rises up, do we truly believe that God is the God of the neighborhoods, Dallas, and the areas we are serving in and that He is at work and wants to take over the areas?

I feel like so often, we only see the negatives and hear the negatives but there has to be good in the midst of all the bad, right? God is already present and at work in the areas that we serve in, so why is it so hard to see where He is present? We are able to see the poverty, we are able to see the lives that youth live, we are able to see the violence, we are able to see the living conditions people are living in, etc but how come we overlook God in this all? I think that it is in part due to the fact that the things we see are visible things and the things God is doing and where He is present isn’t always visible to us or we are just oblivious and overlooking it.

A few of the lyrics are “for greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city” My challenge for anyone reading this is, do you truly believe that greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city? God is a big God and He wants the city and He is the king of the nations and of the people. Are we willing to accept this and truly believe it or are we going to get caught up with only seeing the things that aren’t good?

This is a challenge to myself as well since God is a mysterious God and there’s a lot that we can’t see or understand. We like to be able to see results and have something tangible but God isn’t someone that we can see and the work He is doing isn’t always something that we can see. He is present everywhere and He is already working everywhere, we just need to keep our eyes open and see where God is present. He’s present in every bad situation, in every life, in every home… The question is, how is He present? It may not be in a way that we expect or understand. We may overlook things because we think, how could God be present in this situation or that situation but it is not uncommon for God to use bad and hard situations for His glory. God uses every situation and is in every situation, we just need to answer the hard question of “how is He present” and “what is He currently doing”?

Lastly, ask yourself this question once you figure out what God’s doing. “How can you partner with God in the work that He is already currently doing”?

Maybe the question isn't is God at work but how is He at work. I have been in Dallas for 8 weeks and I can say that God is very present and at work in the area but if you ask me how, then you may not get an answer since that's a question that is harder to answer than "is God at work"? That's just some things that came to mind today during the church service and as I continue serving in Dallas with the Dallas Leadership Foundation.