Killing Lies and Believing the Truth

It's cool when God decides to remind you of the impact you've had on people's lives. The last two years or so I've drifted into cynicism about the effectiveness of the ministry I'd been doing since 2004. Raising awareness didn't seem to be directly impacting the women, men and children who were being bought and sold as slaves throughout the world. It was disheartening not to see results and I eventually came to the conclusion that it was all a waste of effort. Years down the drain.

That, of course, is not true. Not at all. But the lie being whispered in my ear seemed to have so much evidence with it.

Over the last month a spiritual reorganization of my heart has slowly been taking place. Up until that point I had been frantically asking God what I should do with my life. That, as it turns out, was the wrong question. My foundational understanding of who God was had faltered and I had been wallowing in a perpetual river of cynicism and unbelief. The question I needed to ask and believe was about his character and nature: God who are you? I needed to clear up my foundational beliefs about him. And that led directly into the next question: God who do you say I am?

As I've been getting to know God again, and choosing to believe what he says about himself and who he says I am, God has been gently reminding me of the impact I've had on people's lives. He didn't have to show me, but I get the feeling that he really wanted to. And as I see my impact I've started to recognize the shape the lie took.

The lie is an insidious little thing, almost harmless looking on the outside, made up of little doubts and questions. The fire of the lie was slowly stoked until it became a raging furnace, incapacitating me in its resentment and bitterness. The message of the lie rattled around in my head... You destroy everything you put your hands to. You've wasted your life. You can't change the world. You've been a fool and you've led others into that foolishness.

Lies! I refuse to believe that any longer! With God's help I have made an impact, people's lives have been changed and they've gone out and recused people from human trafficking. And here's some proof.

In 2008 I spoke at a women's conference outside Bratislava, Slovakia. A German woman named Gabi Wentland attended my seminar and was outraged by the prevalence of trafficking in Europe and by the lack of action on the issue. We chatted about what she could do and she was inspired to tackle the problem. I held that conversation loosely, not banking on her to actually follow through--so many people don't.

Just last week, four years after our initial conversation, I met Gabi again. She was in Kona speaking in a DTS and told me about what had transpired after she left that conference. A fire had truly been lit in her heart and she spent the next year visiting shelters for victims of human trafficking. She delved into the issue and learned as much as she possibly could. She spoke with government officials about their lack of interest and action. And then she opened her own shelter for trafficking victims in her hometown of Hamburg.

Her shelter has been a great success and has provided protection and restoration for scores of prostitutes in Germany who have sought a way out from their human trafficking nightmare. Many of these women are from Eastern Europe. Gabi has raised money to employ professional counselors, lawyers, teachers and social workers to help meet the needs of the victims. Her shelter, called Mission Freedom is one of the most successful human trafficking shelters in Germany. She is also working to influence the German government to change their stance on legalized prostitution, drawing the distinct connection between prostitution and human trafficking.

Four years ago I was a catalyst for Gabi. She calls me her "teacher" and openly talks about how I inspired her. I tell her the teacher has become the taught; she is such an inspiration and an encouragement to me. She is evidence that I haven't wasted my life, that I have made a difference, that I have changed the world. I have vicariously helped the world become a better place for those women in Germany.

I feel so blessed to be able to see that evidence. God didn't have show me. When he calls us to things he's not necessarily promising that we will see the fruits of our labor (just look at Isaiah! God called him to speak to a people who would not hear). God's taken on those lies I believed and presented a counter argument, one that can't be denied.

How cool is that!