Lenten Reflection - Day 38: by Johan Oostenbrink

READING: Philippians 2: 5-11

I grew up in Holland, in a large family where Bible reading was custom at meal times and going to church was a must, even twice a day, when I was a kid. I would define faith in my earlier life as: starting to believe in God on my own and being more conscious of the fact that God had a personal interest in me and purpose for me. This awareness started to develop when I was probably 14 years old or so.

During the years following I questioned many things, for example what the future would hold for me, and I was thinking of noble causes for which God could use me. How would I fit in his plan and how would I get there. Through the course of high school and college, these questions never got clearly answered so I let life run its course, and accepted whatever would come my way. This led me to serving 2 years in the “Peace Corps” in Cameroon, and spending another 3 1/2 years in Brazil. I didn’t worry much during those years, though I was curious what the future would hold. Until one day in Brazil, when I decided to quit working on farms, a job in the irrigation field became reality. There was excitement, thankfulness and a lot of change in my life. I was growing up fast and found Clara, my wife, and we ended up in California a few years later and eventually moved to Florida.

I have worked many years for the same company in different fields, but ended up in sales 9 years ago, living in Florida and working in the Great Lakes area! It comes with a busy schedule and ‘pressure’ to reach sales goals.

About this same time I joined BSF Bible Study. It has greatly helped me to apply the Bible to my life, guide my life and keep it balanced between work, family and time devoted to church. I used to travel on Mondays, but since BSF was on Monday night, I would now leave on Tuesday and there was little interference with my work. BSF has two objectives: for a person to develop a closer relationship with God, and to help out in your local church, which led me to teaching a Sunday school class. As Lutherans we believe in the priesthood of all believers and I see the need to be part of that. In my travels there are also many opportunities to share my ‘faith’ with others.

I would say that ‘faith’ today is based on trust and obedience. I came across the following verse today, while preparing for Sunday school, which applies to my life though I am a sinner like anybody else. “Continue to work out your salvation because it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).