There Is More

Hope is a funny thing. In the darkest of moments it enters in and changes everything. It takes one small glimmer of it to set a person's soul on fire and remind them why they are here. Why they are breathing. Why God made them. It has the power to catapult a person into the greatness that has always been inside of them. Hope will cause you to believe in the goodness of God and the marvelous adventure that lies ahead with Him. All we have to do is see what was finished on the cross, look to the empty tomb, and see the King with His arms open wide.

Hope has a name and that name is Jesus.

For those affected by sex trafficking, hope is almost non-existent. When you're entrapped in modern day slavery, what becomes of you? When your day to day life is filled with so much darkness, how do you cling to anything other than despair? How do you view yourself? Do you believe that you are worthy, valuable, and loved by God? What happens to your identity? These are the questions that run through my mind as I think about the beloved sons and daughters who are caught in the sex trade. I don't know about you, but it pains me to know that most of these people don't know who Jesus is. What He can do and how He can save them. They don't know that before they took their first breath, God chose them. While they were dancing in their mother's womb, God was singing over them. And when they were at their lowest, God saw their endless potential and the purpose He placed over their life since the beginning.

So what is our part in this? How do we show them who they are and who they were created to be? The answer is simple: we show them Jesus. The One who was friends with tax collectors, adulterers, and prostitutes. The giver of extravagant grace and One who does not condemn, Jesus. The "I don't care what you've done, I love you anyway" Jesus. The One who took on all our sin and shame so that we might be free, Jesus. This is who Jesus is. 

In a world that is filled with so many things that are counterfeit, we have to embody the real thing. Because what happens when you find Him? Like, really find Him? You are forever changed. Suddenly, the world seems a little bit brighter and your soul feels a little more lighter. There's a difference in the way you carry yourself because you know who you are and whose you are. It doesn't mean life is perfect, but it does mean that you're not alone anymore. You've got the creator of the universe walking by your side and fighting for you.

So let's learn what it means to truly be the light. Let's carry His presence into the darkest of places and situations. Let's be transformed by God, so we can bring transformation to those affected by sex trafficking. Let's make it our mission to go after these sons and daughters and show them who they were created to be. We do this because what Jesus did for them on the cross matters. Because the calling He's placed on their life matters. Because they matter.

They need to know how loved, worthy, and valuable they are. They need to know what it's like to experience the Father's love. I believe that one encounter with the Son of God can change everything for them. But as followers of Jesus, we have to say yes to the call. We have to make a choice to be the ones that go. Why? Because they need to know.

There is hope. There is more.