This verse is one I know very well. It seems like for most of my life I have had two distinct parts of me. There is the american me, the Monica that has gone to public school her entire life, that knows all the current pop culture, slang, music and knows the American way, and then there’s the 1/3 Cuban, 1/3 Costa Rican Monica, the Monica that speaks Spanish, has certain cultural mannerism and can easily fall into line with different cultures.
I’ve taken my heritage for granted for most of my life, mostly because of the fact that I’ve grown up in a city where about 90% of the other inhabitants have similar cultural backgrounds. It wasn’t until I came up to Montana that I felt the cultural differences highlighted. Certain comments or preconceived notions ( all innocently expressed) I noticed would catch me off guard or would make me take a step back. I knew none of them were malicious in intent or meant to be hurtful, but for the first time in my life I didn’t feel american. I very quickly started to resent that I could speak spanish and that I didn’t have blond hair, light eyes and the fact that when I speak, it’s mostly with my hands.
God is sovereign though and has showed me that He has given me the ability to speak spanish and to adapt easily to culture so that I can help further His work, especially now that I am being deployed to a Spanish speaking, Hispanic country.
As ambassadors of Christ it is essential that we don’t pledge our hearts to any specific culture, but to the Word of God instead. The word of God transcends all culture, but it’s delivery many times has to adapt itself to the current surrounding and local people. When I fly to Guatemala I can try and minister to people in english, but my chances of it being effective are lower than if I did it in Spanish, ( not that God can’t use non spanish speakers to minister to the locals, but you get the point) I could try using american cartoons to illustrate a biblical principle but if they’ve never seen it before its a moot point. When I’m sharing Christ, I stand firm on the foundation of Biblical Truth that I have learned, but I make myself completely flexible to it’s delivery.
I still struggle sometimes with the differences I see, but it’s allowing God to teach me to trust Him, trust that He gave me my hair and eye color for a reason, trust that He’s blessed me with the ability to speak more than one language, and blessed me with the opportunity to grow up experiencing multiple cultures for a reason, even if it’s not crystal clear at the moment.
I have not committed my life to reaching a certain group of people in a specific way, I have committed my life to the spreading of God’s word, and Love to all people, in whatever way I can until the WHOLE world hears.
Application: God has made me me, and I need to start learning to accept that, so I will commit to make psalm 139 mine personally and memorize it, not just in repetition, I also will begin to pray for the people of the country, in a hope that God gives me a burden for them
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