Gaining from Loss

"...whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

Philippians 3:7-8

Loss is always hard.

We are always trying to improve, to reach higher goals, to move forward.  We are wired to gain, not suffer loss.   When we lose, we hurt.

Yet loss comes.  We lose jobs and money.  We lose friends, co-workers, and relationships.  We lose parents and even children.  We lose our memories and sometimes our minds.  We watch others lose their lives, all the while knowing that we too will lose ours.

In any organization, loss occurs.  We have experienced loss of jobs, loss of money, loss of friendships, and even loss of life.  Our organization will invariably change as we move ahead, leading to the loss of the comfort that comes from "doing things the way we have always done them." Simply changing the way we do something means we have lost the way we used to do it.

John Maxwell teaches that while we all fail, the trick is to fail forward.  Perhaps the same is true in our loses.  Can we somehow gain even when we lose? Can we learn from our loses?  When we gain and learn, even in our losses, we grow.  ECM is committed to growth, to moving forward even in difficult times, to taking the  risks that are necessary to fulfill our mission.  In doing so, we will invariably suffer loss.

Ultimately, both our worldly gains and our losses mean nothing when compared with the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.  May every gain and every loss spur us on toward a greater knowledge of Him and toward our goal of bringing hope to the most vulnerable in our societies.

Children: Precious Treasure from God

Our post today is written by Edward Owusu Sekyere, National Director of ECM-Ghana.

In Eph. 6:1-6 we find a clear description for Christian children and their Home. For them to have a blessed, fruitful and promising life on earth they need to abide by the Word of life in GOD, so that the end will glorify GOD.

Ps.116:15. Precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints. Paul said the HOLY SPIRIT bears witness with our spiritual that we are children of God. (Romans 8:15). As children of God we have to walk and behave as such. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What gift or talent have we received, and from whom did we receive it? ln Eccles. 10:9 it states, "Rejoice o young man in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of their heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into JUDGMENT. "

1Cor.15:57-58 says "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Therefore , my beloved brethren (father, mother, sister and brother) be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

We all need to preserve this precious and great gift of the Lord. Two precious gems from HAVEN OF HOPE came to the limelight this past May during Mother's Day when they won for themselves a certificate of recognition- recognition of their humility, hardwork , teamspirit , willingness to help to colleagues, friends and staff , and fantastic attitudes by Mothering the Nation Foundation. They are Miriam Manu and Godsway Asinyo from of Haven Of Hope.  Congratulations to both of them!

Compassionate in our Evangelism - Core Value #6

In this post we will dig further into ECM's core values. Your team has been evaluating ECM's core values with the goal of developing specific steps that will guide you in fulfilling the mission and vision of ECM. We have now reached our sixth and last core value to evaluate.  Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. I ask you only to honestly, together with your co-workers, discuss what each value looks like with "flesh" on it.  How can we put each value into practice on a regular basis?  I look forward to your comments as together we grow as a staff.  Here is Core Value #6:

We will be Compassionate in our Evangelism: We will build and maintain a safe environment where children are loved, served, and valued, and can grow, ask questions, and hear the Good News of Jesus.

How can we, as ECM staff, be intentional about being compassionate in our evangelism?  Share your responses/ideas in the comments section on this blog, and discuss with your co-workers!

Winning the Battle

Our post today is written by Edward Owusu Sekyere, National Director of ECM-Ghana.

Joshua 5:9 and 1 Kings 18: 41-45

We need to break the yoke of Jezebel or Satan. We do not know what is in store for us this year but in the Name of Jesus Christ we shall overcome. Our Jesus went through trials and he overcame and won victory for us. Seven times the prophet Elijah sent his servant to go and look out for rain. One of the greatest enemies of our generation is the delay of time, which often drains our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian faith. This is one reason a woman of God said, "The Lord has removed my reproach."  We must continue to stand firm with our faith in the Lord. We have to allow the  spirit of God to lead. To sometimes let the finger of God appear to us to let our faith believe that there is abundance of rain.

The sign alone is a faith of abundance of rain. God Almighty will do it in his way, might and power and not by anyone's way (Isaiah 40). May God give us the enablement to achieve what we are not able to do. 

We need to be very very careful because we fight against powers of darkness and principalities. The Bible says He who thinks he is standing be careful less he falls (1 Kings 19:3).  God did a lot in the life of Elijah, but when it came to the battle of words, Elijah went into hiding. Fear not, that's what the Lord Jesus told us. We should not fear for the remaining months ahead of us in the year 2019 (Isaiah 54 :17).  We need to stand on the promises of God (Hebrews 13:5).  It is the power of God that will do it. It is the power of God that will win the battle for us.

Having the Courage to take Risks - Core Value #5

In this post we will dig further into ECM's core values. Your team has been evaluating ECM's core values with the goal of developing specific steps that will guide you in fulfilling the mission and vision of ECM. You will continue to do this as you evaluate the next value.  There are no right or wrong answers. I ask you only to honestly, together with your co-workers, discuss what each value looks like with "flesh" on it.  How can we put each value into practice on a regular basis?  I look forward to your comments as together we grow as a staff.  Here is Core Value #5:

We will have the Courage to take Risks: We will promote a culture of learning, dreaming, developing, and changing.

How can we, as ECM staff, be intentional about having the courage to take risks?  Share your responses/ideas in the comments section on this blog, and discuss with your co-workers!

Confidence

"Do not be afraid or discouraged..., for the battle is not yours, but God's."

2 Chronicles 20:15

Recently, the US office experienced significant upheaval, losing both our finance manager and our child sponsorship coordinator within the span of a few weeks.  Our Ghana office has experienced similar changes in recent months, and our Uganda office is no stranger to staff disruption. (Only our DRC staff has remained fully in tact over the years, for which we are grateful!)

The question is not, "Will change occur?" but "How will we respond when unexpected and unwanted changes come our way?"  Our answer to this question is vitally important to our ministry as we move forward with our God-given mandate to bring hope, help, and dignity to vulnerable children.  We must remember two things first and foremost as we grapple with change:

1. ECM belongs to God, and not to any of us, either individually or collectively.  God has made it clear that the battle is not ours, but his (2 Chronicles 20:15).  We forget this truth far too often, more than we would like and far more than we care to admit.  Each office, each project, each outreach effort, each goal, and most significantly, each accomplishment, belongs to him.  The battle is indeed his. When we face unexpected or even expected hardship, DO NOT FORGET that God is the owner, and we are simply the caretakers.  This is HIS ministry. Can you honestly reflect on any point during the long history of ECM that he did not provide?  Don't fear - he's got this!

1. Second -and this is SO IMPORTANT to remember- God has equipped us for this work, and he strengthens us to handle the tasks and the difficulties that come our way.  Are you willing to put forth the extra effort to get the job done? To go the extra mile? To put in the extra time? To pray consistently and diligently for God's provision?  ECM staff, God has uniquely equipped you for this task.  Trust him!  Move forward with confidence!  I fully believe that we have been specifically chosen "for such a time as this," that each of us is exactly where God wants us do be, and that he will continue to use us to bring the hope of Jesus to those thirsty for life.

What a privilege it is to be a part of God's family, and to serve in such an incredible ministry!  Go forward with CONFIDENCE, despite any obstacles you may face, for God is on our side!

Helping the Hungry

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many

kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2-3

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

A few nights ago, while waiting to pick up my daughter from a late night school event, I watched a movie called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  Set in Malawi in the early 2000's, the movie chronicles the hardships a family experienced during a time of famine.

I couldn't help but think of how most Americans would never be able to understand the depth of the hunger pangs felt by families in the movie.  The kind of pain that causes a person to steal and destroy.  The kind of suffering that that makes a person forget all they ever learned from parents, church, and community about how to treat others.  The aching that brings out our animal nature.

Real hunger is something most Americans never experience.  When their stomachs grumble a little bit, they say, "I'm starving! I really need something to eat NOW!"  Honestly, we have no idea what hunger really is, and we've never been close to starving.

Many of my African brothers and sisters, on the other hand, understand all too well.  They have felt it. They have lived it.  It is, for them as much a part of living as the air we breathe.

All Christians are called to help those in need, and not understanding a person's trial is no excuse for ignoring it.  It is not something we are asked to do, it is something we are required to do.  You see, those going through a trial are called to endure it with joy, and those who see others going through a trial are called to walk with them, helping them to survive and thrive.  It is a beautiful plan laid out by a compassionate, ever present God, to help us overcome the trials of this life (Psalm 46:1).

There are rarely easy answers to the trials we face.  The problem of hunger won't end tomorrow or next month or next year.  Instead, the question becomes, "How do we walk with those who hunger, even when we cannot truly understand what they are going through?"  My desire is to see our ECM staff reach out with empathy and compassion, as we have been commanded, and also with creativity to help people out of poverty and hunger, and toward a happier, more fulfilled life.