Bar Ministry: Perception verse Reality
·
I spent a night earlier this week with two of my teammates
going to bars and starting to build relationships with the girls in the red
light district for the first time.
Suddenly, they were no longer images in my mind or girls I
had passed by on the streets; but were friends with faces and names.
This is a blog about my perception verses the reality of
last night:
Perception of the
men: I pictured the men in the bars being happy with the life they have
lived. As if they were relishing in their sin and enjoying the decisions they
have made. As if they were proud of their choices and the life they were
living.
Reality of the men: They
are just as broken as anyone else can be. Some men were sitting with the girls
flirting and putting on a fake cloak to hide their feelings of desperation.
Most of the men were walking around aimlessly or sitting in a dark corner sipping
a beer, their eyes clouded with loneliness and hurt.
Perception of the
streets: I pictured streets filled with smiles, even though I knew those
smiles would be fake. I thought there would be an atmosphere of happiness
cloaked in a dark setting.
Reality of the
streets: Instead the streets were filled with darkness reaching for
happiness, but failing miserably. None of the girls were smiling, unless you
first directly smiled at them. The neon lights seemed old and dreary, almost as
if the brightness of light had been drawn out of them completely.
Perception of the
girls: I perceived them to not want to talk to us and be friends with us. I
pictured them not really caring that we were there but just going along with
the conversation. I thought that when they saw us (white girls walking around
the streets) they would think of us as a worthless amount of time because we
weren’t there to spend money on them.
Reality of the girls:
They are full of love and searching for someone who will see that in them.
I sat down with multiple girls last night and each of them genuinely wanted to
have a conversation. When we gave them our full attention and sat down next to
them they would light up and smile, more than willing to share a tiny bit of
their story. They asked us to play games with them (pool, jenga, connect four)
and when men walked into the bar the girls looked to us and said, “Want to play
another game?” as if stating: I would rather spend my time with you.
Perception of bar
ministry: I thought it would be a hard grueling time going from bar to bar
trying to find a girl to build a relationship with. I pictured the darkness
being too big for the light.
Reality of bar
ministry: There is so much hope to be shared. Most of the girls are so
friendly and want to feel important, to feel like they can be a 20 year old
girl who isn’t seen as an object to be bought. I am so excited for this next month
of continuing bar ministry and beginning to build relationships with these
girls.
Thank God my perceptions have been broken and the reality is
that God is doing a work here. The world would say that the red light district
is too dark and thriving for God to break through. But I know I serve a God who
is jealous for every single heart in the bars: both women and men. Praise God,
He is coming for you Thailand.
Becoming a temple for the Lord
·
Thailand. What a wonderful people and beautiful country I
get to serve this summer. My team of 20 fantastic Godly women and I arrived in
Chiangmai a little over a week ago. We have already grown and been challenged
by all God is doing in Thailand. What an honor to join alongside a mighty King
who is doing so much through His children here.
This week we have started prayer walks through the town and
several streets containing bars where our team members will later do ministry at
night to love on the women working there. It has been humbling to walk these
streets and hear the Lords heart through the prayers He lays on us. He
loves the Thai people so much and desires so much joy and freedom for the “land
of smiles”.
I have been struck by the dedication of these people. On
almost every street sits a “spirit house”. These spirit houses are shrines to
the protective spirit of a certain place. They are in the form of miniature
houses or temples, often times containing bright colors and intricate detail.
The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits that could cause
problems for the people if not appeased or to appeal to ask for protection and
blessings.
I have seen people pray
to these mini temples as they light incense, give offerings of gifts or food to
appease the spirits or decorative things such as flowers or ribbons to be left
behind. God has used these mini temples in such a humbling way to my soul. As I
was struck by the act of idolatry it led me to examining my own heart first. I
realized there were areas of my own life that I had built “mini temples” around
instead of opening my hands to the Creator of all things.
After the feeling of brokenness left, then came the calling
of a challenge from the Lord.
Was I being this devout to Him, the One true God? Was I
daily laying down my offerings and asking for His sovereign hand? Was I
creating a space in my soul for Him to constantly dwell? Was I housing His
spirit in a manor that people would see my body and life as a “spirit house” in
and of itself? Was I pressing into the true and living Spirit that dwells
inside me?
Here is a bit of what I have learned about the Spirit of
God:
-True worshippers worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:52)
-The Spirit is a helper to be with us forever. (John 14:16)
-The Spirit is God’s love poured into our hearts. (Romans
5:5)
-The Spirit helps us in our weakness. (Romans 8:26)
-The Spirit dwells in us making us a temple. (Corinthians
3:16)
-The Spirit is Gods seal upon our hearts as a guarantee.
(Corinthians 1:21)
-As we walk by the Spirit we won’t gratify the desires of
our flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
These truths mean that I am already declared a temple for
the living God. It means that as I continually press into His Spirit, I will
begin to display more of Him for the world to see. That my daily sacrifices to
Him are simply laying down my own desires and asking: “Lord, what would You
have me do today?” His Spirit helps me when I am weak, instead of just
protecting me when I am strong. His Spirit is constant; it is a guarantee for
my soul.
I am challenged to walk these truths out, to live it out in
such a way that people begin to see my life as a house for the Spirit. The best
part is even when I don’t deserve or make enough “offerings” to the Spirit, the
Lord has still sealed me in such a way that I am His forever despite my
shortcomings. What glorious news and sweet acceptance I am able to walk in.
Pray that as I pass dozens of these Thai spirit houses everyday that I would be
more encouraged to display and share the Spirit of God with His children.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s
Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16
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