For as through one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:19
The above verse references the decisions, and actions of two different men who lived at different times and how these decisions influenced the lives of many. When the bible says many, I think it downplays the number of lives that were and are being affected by their choices. The first man who is referenced to disobey God was Adam who was placed in the garden of Eden with his help mate Eden with the sole responsibilities of communing with God while tending to the garden. But unfortunately, he was unable to hold up with his communion and complete obedience to the Lord. He ate of the tree that he wasn’t supposed to touch and hence he was banished from the garden of abundance. Even worse off, his children and children’s unborn children had to suffer the repercussion of his singular decision. Earlier last week, I could not help but ponder, “Perhaps if Adam had thought or knew the gravity of the action he was about to make, he would never have!” Only if he knew that more than billions of men and women across multiple generations would suffer severely for his action, perhaps he would have fled at the sight of the offer to eat that disgusting fruit.
While on the other hand, Jesus faced with the temptation to give up on the task given to Him by God drew strength in the place of prayer and followed through. Jesus strapped the sins of billions on His shoulders, carried it all to the cross, and put an end to it all. Because of this daunting, yet single action of the Lord Jesus Christ, billions of lives were, are, and will be reconciled to our father in heaven- Romans 5:11-19.
Furthermore, across scripture and even in our world today, we see how the actions and decisions of one person could go a long way in affecting the lives of so many people they never even considered or thought about while making the decision. This! I could not help but ponder and think about it all week. For example, the ministry where I worship started off because one man defied all obstacles and decided to obey the voice of the Lord. Because this man chose to obey God instead of pursuing his personal ambition(s), so many souls have seen the light, reconciled back with the Lord, and delivered from oppression. I for one can attest to it. In this same way, many people across the globe have gone on to obey the voice of God to create beautiful things that leave a lasting impact in the world. On the flip side as well, others have taken steps that affect the world negatively.
This week, I write to you to remind you of the power and extent to which your life’s choices can affect so many generations even yet unborn. And the best ways to ensure that you live the kind of life that positively influences generations are as follows:
Have a relationship with the Lord:
The Lord knows it all, from the beginning of creation to the end of it all, He knows the intricate details of your life. Therefore, having a relationship with Him is a solid decision to make in my opinion. For example, to have a thriving relationship with Him means that He would tell you of things to happen in the nearest or farthest future which could help influence the decisions you make. To have a relationship with the Lord starts off by first believing that His son Jesus Christ died to save you from death, then it continues with a confession of Him as your Lord and genuine repentance from known behavior(s) that leads to death in your life. Once that is done, solidify your relationship by reading the bible, praying to the Lord, and fellowshipping with men and women of God in a Jesus-believing church.
Seek to be able to discern His voice:
In a world that is filled with so many voices and opinions, it is essential that you are able to discern God’s voice from the voice of the tempter. Only if Eve and Adam were able to discern the voice of the devil through the mouth of the serpent, perhaps we wouldn’t be here. Nonetheless, we are here and we are thankful for Jesus Christ who overcame for us. And through Him, we are able to hear the voice of the Lord clearly and often to do what we are supposed to do.
Have Constant Communion with Him:
To be able to discern the voice of God speaking to us comes with spending so much time with the Lord while cultivating our relationship with Him. It is more or less like spending so much time with a family or friend so much so that we are able to recognize their voice from afar off.
Pray for Grace constantly to obey Him:
I mean it is great, in fact, fantastic to be able to hear God’s voice clearly but that is one thing. Yet it is one thing to be able to follow through with the instruction. Jesus Christ was faced with this challenge but He prayed it out in the garden of Gethsemane. He was so overwhelmed with what the Lord would have Him do, hence He prayed for the strength to follow through to the end. And the father actually sent His angels to strengthen Him to obedience. – Matthew 26:36-56
And obey Him :
All of God’s plans and instructions to us are always good and will always lead us to a great expected end of glory. But many times, the instructions may just seem daunting or perhaps too easy or flimsy. Regardless, all that matters is our complete obedience to Him. When we do, heaven smiles, heaven comes down to the earth and generations would have you to thank for obeying.
Prayer Point:
- My father, please help me to stay tuned to your voice.
- Lord, give me the grace to obey you always.