A Lesson from Aaron Shust

I recorded this during a recent Aaron Shust concert that I attended.

When I went, I didn't actually know who Aaron Shust was, but I thought it would be fun to attend a free Christian concert, so I set out.

Although his music was beautiful, I think the biggest lesson I took away from the evening was from a story he told about a friend who was doing mission work in Africa.

The friend was from the United Kingdom, I believe, and he was talking to a farmer in a small African village.

The man told the farmer, "I'll pray for you."

And the farmer gave him a weird look, asking him why he would need prayers.

The man said, "You're poor. I'll pray for you."

The farmer responded, "You're poor, I'll pray for you."

The man countered, "No, I'm not poor. God has blessed me richly. I'll pray for you."

The farmer said, "You have many things and God. I only have God. I'll pray for you."

Shust was amazed, as am I, that the people we think we need to reach out to are actually praying for us. They realize that we have too much stuff to rely on, which makes us rely on God less.

They see, in ways that we don't, that having only God is more valuable than having stuff plus God.

Instead of praying for God to bless other countries with more riches, maybe we should pray that God will bless all of us with an undying desire for him, and him alone. Whether we have stuff or not, that's what we all need.