Abiding in Our Father’s presence

As we desire to see a city aligned with His ways.

As I reflect on God’s desire for our city, I am filled with exuberant joy and dream of the day that all 1.1 million citizens in the greater Tucson area will experience a fulfilling and flourishing life for all generations. On the other hand, this dream is followed by an overwhelming feeling, accompanied by two statements that may be very familiar to many:

“What did I say Yes to?”

Or “What did I just get myself into?”

I must admit the 4Tucson vision to “see a city aligned with God’s ways so that His peace and prosperity are experienced by ALL GENERATIONS” is a monumental vision that is hard to grasp.

A perfect Christian who has everything together might see this vision as an awe-inspiring quest. Yes, I agree it is. However, as a non-perfect Christian, I can honestly admit it is an intimidating venture in leading an organization with such a huge vision. At times I am excited to see Tucson transformed to the point that every generation will be able to experience the peace and prosperity of God. In these moments, I can relate to Caleb when he said in Numbers 13:30, “…let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” And then there are other times I begin to think like the other 10 spies in verse 31, “…we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

When the latter thought pops in, it is so easy to believe the lie of the enemy. When I am distracted by this lie, anxiety and fear begin to set in. I have realized that the more I reflect on my point of view through my human lens, the further away I feel from God. It is through this human lens where I have limited sight. In these last eight months as 4Tucson’s CEO, I am learning what it truly means to ABIDE in Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

In the moments where God’s word realigns my point of view to His point of view, I find rest in working as a team with 4Tucson’s staff and volunteers towards the vision of 4Tucson. I see the handiwork of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Tucson through their partnership.

One specific activity where we are experiencing God’s desire for Tucson is through our Spiritual Heritage Bus Tour. Since March, we have taken several groups of Christians on a two-hour bus tour where we share the spiritual roots Tucson was built upon. We visit four specific areas that represent Church, Government, Education, and Healthcare, and we discuss the historical context of the represented areas. We then pray in a posture of repentance and ask God to redeem these domains back to His Kingdom. In the monthly tours, we have developed a stronger bond with other Christians in our city, uniting under the collective principle that God desires to transform cities, and mobilizing them to corporately pray for answers on how to address our city’s most systemic problems.