When “None” is Way Too Many

I’m frustrated…with myself and with others.  Perhaps frustration is not a good emotion to feel here at Christmas; and I wasn’t planning on feeling frustrated today but it has arrived nevertheless.  I subscribe to the Joshua Project at joshuaproject.org which sends me an e-mail each morning listing an unreached people group, an ethnic group somewhere in the world that has had little to no exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Today’s e-mail is about the Izarguien people in Western Sahara.  A group with a world population of 50,000.  Way too many times these e-mails have the following words:  “There quite likely isn’t a single follower of Christ among the Izarguien tribe”.  None…no followers of Jesus…and I read this way too many times for other tribes of people around the world; some which number in the millions.

At Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, He is still unknown to so many people around the world, perhaps as many as 2 billion.  And I’m frustrated.  I’m frustrated mostly by my own lack of care.  Sure, I get the e-mail and I spend a minute or two praying for each tribe each day, but I’m frustrated that I don’t do much more than that.  Honestly, I’m also a little frustrated with God.  Why does God seem to put the task for getting the gospel to people like the Izarguien people on His followers instead of doing it Himself with sky-writing or angelic pronouncements?  Let’s face it, us followers of Jesus are failing pretty miserably at getting out the gospel.

If you’re frustrated like me, would you join me in praying for God to show us ways to help?  I know that no one reading this post is going to get on an airplane and go to these people (and neither am I) but maybe we can be active in finding ministries and ways to help the Izarguien and the many others groups.  Maybe you can begin by signing up to get the emails from the Joshua project?  I know this has helped keep these people in the front of my mind each day.  Please pray for me that I would understand how to turn my frustration into fruitfulness in this area.  I’m tired of the “way too many” times I’m reading “none” as it relates to followers of Jesus.

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