Enlarging My World Vision

I have been praying that my life be more than about me and mine.

I heard Gary Haugen of IJM say that God loves each person He creates so much that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son so every one of us could spend eternity with Him. That's what I call a big world vision. So when Gary said that he had realized his own love was only for his small world of me and mine --- I was tracking with him when he asked, "How can I open the borders of my heart to embrace a larger world vision?"

I don't have a definition of what my larger vision would encompass, but the Lord has been bringing organizations and opportunities my way in an ever quickening pace. Most of them have to do with poverty and injustice preying on helpless women and their children. The statistics are alarming. An estimated 27 million people are held as slaves worldwide -- 2 million of them are children who are forced into prostitution. These people need justice and a hope for the future.

The Biblical definition of injustice is the abuse of power, the taking away of the basic things that God had intended for each of us --- life, liberty, joy and hope. God intended for us to defend the helpless against injustice. "He has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

One small step I can take in reaching out is through organizations that are on the forefront of the battle. Trade As One is an organization that has partnered with 16 companies around the world to provide fair wage and dignity to oppressed women and children. By simply purchasing some of their beautiful wares I am able to help these people live with dignity, freedom and hope. (See my blog post under Connections, July 1, 2008.)

TassaTags, is a nonprofit that sells luggage tags to help fund the fight against sexual slavery and trafficking worldwide. The tags are made by rescued victims who are now paid a fair wage for their work and a hope for the future. (See my blog post under Connections, August 4, 2008).

International Justice Mission (IJM), is an organization that uses legal means to fight the oppression and persecution of poor women and their children. Their legal casework includes bonded slavery, illegal land seizure, unprosecuted rape, sex trafficking, citixenship documentation, illegal detention and police brutality. IJM's four-fold purpose: (1) victim relief (2) lawful accountability and consequences to the prepetrators (3) prevention of future abuse (4) services to help the victims transition to new, sustainable lives. At the very least, I can pray for God's intercession through IJM and provide some financial support to this much-needed organization. (www.ijm.org)

What started for me as a feel-good means of adjusting my buying habits to include fair trade items, has become a deepened desire to take a stronger stand. How can I not, when my very God in heaven has admonished me to do so?

"Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; Your will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear. To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more." (Psalm 10:17-18)