GOD’S PRESCRIBED RESPONSES DEFIES REASON & LOGIC.

What will you do if you suddenly got a phone call from a family member or friend who had been mean and unkind to you in the past? I mean someone who was literarily after your life, who would stop at nothing to ensure that every resource you needed was withdrawn? That one who never empathised or understood but looked away when you needed them the most? The one who wouldn’t hold any door of opportunity for you to walk through..not ever, not if they could help it!, just because they could? Yes, that one person. Will you pick that phone call or will you simply ignore it and pretend you never saw it? What if they left you a voice message crying desperately for your help? What will you do? How will you respond? Will you help them?

What will be your first reaction be if a total stranger walked up to you and begins to tell you his or her needs and how they’d appreciate your help? Will you warm up to them? Will you listen? Will you spare them any attention? This might sound like a trick question for some, especially in a world where is so much insecurity, desperation and evil. I mean it’s a dangerous world out there right? Don’t you agree Nike, that it will really depend on where, how or what they looked like? And on and on..

I’m not going to pretend. It could be haaarrrrd. In fact, it is haaarrrd! It is hard to give when most of what we perceive and receive are selfishness, self-absorption and greed. It is really hard to let our guards down and love when we are surrounded by wickedness, oppression and pain. It is extremely difficult to love someone you know doesn’t wish you well. Many will probably go down the route of totally cutting them off. Believing they are better off avoiding any links and access to such a person, directly or indirectly. YES?? I bet!

Inasmuch as we need to be careful, and take precautions to keep ourselves safe whenever necessary, we also need to draw a line of caution. The reason is, if we are not careful, our unpleasant experiences, memories and perceptions of the ‘unsafe’ environment could become our voice of reason rather than HIS VOICE and we will convince ourselves that staying away from that “evil” person (who needs our help) is the most effective or best strategy, when it isn’t. We could miss our chance to be His means of reaching that person, at that time and in that space!

Have you noticed that our natural responses to people and situations are most often guided by our senses, experiences, imaginations and fears?

HOWEVER, INTERESTINGLY, GOD’S PRESCRIBED RESPONSES ARE VERY DISSIMILAR TO HUMANS’

For example, He says, If someone strikes you on one cheek, i.e, insults you, disrespects or humiliates you, offer him the other cheek also. Meaning, take it in good stride, don’t retaliate. Don’t prove him wrong or deal with him. If anyone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him, either. ie If anyone cheats you on what is rightfully yours, don’t fight him for it. Just let it go..

Wait! What?? Oh my goodness! Even if I don’t publicly fight him, I should do nothing? REALLY?

Oh well, I didn’t say it. Jesus did.

What’s my point friend?

If we are ever going to be true followers of Jesus Christ walking this earth, we would have to embrace solving problems the unpopular way. We would have to accept that our perception of people and responses to them in time of their needs has to be “His” way, not the world’s way. I mean, if we don’t do things differently how will we “christ-ians” be identified among the lot?How else will the light shine in the dark? How else will people identify us and describe us as those capable of looking beyond people’s appearances, educational background, status , influence and respond to them with love and honesty? Without any ulterior motive or any judgement especially if our brains can’t justify if it is deserved or not?

The things that matter to God seem to be the least important to human beings. Those things many believers hold in high esteem, weigh little in God’s scheme of things. That’s why He said. On that day, many will say, ” but we cast out demons in your name!”, “we prophecised in your name”. “Don’t you remember the many miracles that we did in your name?” And He’ll reply, I don’t know you, go away from Me! Why? Because, the things that matter to Christ, don’t matter to the world and vice versa.

And that’s why we can’t live in the kingdom and run God’s kingdom by earthly standards, worldly methods or with our fears, senses and experiences. To live like His true sheep, we need His Spirit. We need His help to see people and things through His eyes. Because He sees ignorance in that wicked fellow. He sees weakness and insecurity in that abusive and condescending person. He sees the fear of failure and low self-esteem in that jealous and envious friend. He sees the same thing in all of them, THEIR NEED TO KNOW HIM AND HIS LOVE FOR THEM!

He goes ahead to speak to us through Isaiah, that the kind of self-defying worship, sacrifice and fasting He really wants from us to share our food with the hungry. To free those who are wrongly imprisoned, loose bonds of wickedness, help someone who is helpless when you have the means. Don’t look away and say, it’s not your business because you didn’t put them there.

Lighten the burdens of those who work for you or serve you. Stop every form of oppression. Provide shelter for the homeless. Give clothes to the naked to cover themselves. Provide that link, facility, resource for the person who needs them whenever you see that need. And I like this one, “don’t neglect or ignore your own blood!” Are you a father or mother who abandoned your child? A spouse who leaves the other when they need them the most? A young person who neglects caring for their elderly family members or even your siblings etc just because they have done something terrible in the past?

None of us deserves His love my friend but He loves us anyway. If we only love and help and care for those we know or who have treated us right alone, how are we different from everyone who doesn’t know Jesus(I am assuming you know who He is and what He represents).

And since this is His recommended lifestyle, It can only be lived successfully through His Spirit, only by His help and on His terms. But He is willing to help us because as branches, we can never ever bear fruit without the supply and support from the VINE Himself.

So, whoever you are and whatever your experiences may have been so far, Life is short and it is a gift. We will meet the owner someday and will give an account of what we gave and how we loved. Especially when we were in the position to do that good. When we had the means to stop that oppression and injustice even if we weren’t responsible. When we had the means and resources to make a difference in that person’s life even though they are not directly linked to us in anyway and we won’t get anything in return… May Love Himself, the Essence and Source of life, help us in Jesus name.

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME

Lord Jesus, I know it is really hard to forgive and live without bitterness towards those that should have loved me but treated me badly. Help me learn to love them. Help me forgive them. Give me the wisdom for everyday living in this dark and wicked world without losing my identity and losing my light. Instead, let your Oil lighten my lamp so I can help others along my way and I ask that you love people through me in your precious name, I pray.

Amen.

God bless you, my friend.

Lots of love & blessings.

Shalom.

Adenike.