Back from Belize with Greater Understanding

Trying to understand can be hard work! Many times Jesus confronted His listeners with the words: “don’t you understand?” (Mat. 16:11; Mark 4:13), with the implied Why don't you? Later, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul provokes them: “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (5:17)

A literal translation of the Greek word “understand” is “put together,” or “gather.” Last week in Belize Altha and I were doing just that: “understanding the will of the Lord” for us in that country. Daily, we were actively engaged in gathering information. From a taxi driver to a Mennonite pastor, from a medical doctor to a remote missionary, from the jungle mountains to the beach, we gathered information, gaining knowledge about the Belizeans’ religious practices, spiritual condition, and the state of the evangelical churches—all to “understand” the will of the Lord for us in Belize.

I’ve gained a new appreciation for how foolish it is not to do the work of “understanding.” Prior to this, I think I was like many people who say ‘well, some day perhaps we’ll understand,’ as though there was nothing I could do but “wait and see.” But we need look no further than the life of Jesus: He was up every day long before everyone else to pray, meditate, and listen, actively seeking to understand His father’s will for the day ahead. May we all be thus actively engaged in understanding the will of the Lord.