Hello dear, how are you today? May I ask what church do you attend? Wait! Are you even a Christian? Sorry I jumped into conclusion…
Does the response to these questions tell anything about our lives? Does it influence us in any way or is attending a church service a ceremony we need to show up to just to avoid the wagging mouth of our parents, teachers or friends?
Well it was for me, going to church in high school was compulsion, I had to look like a good girl for people around me, I had to go because my parents went. It was a ceremonious affair, an avenue to wear my finest clothes since I was usually locked up inside. Show up in church with my fine clothes and shoes, chill with my friends in a corner of the class, sing praise and worship from the tip of my tongue, they meant nothing to me just mere songs. Observe the lips of the teacher, note his errors and laugh about it, take a thing or two; obey your parents so I won’t be punished by God, don’t tell lies and the rest of them. Service ends, off I go and that is the end of the ceremony till the next Sunday and I would show up again!
OH! Goodness the days my parents can’t make it to church, amazing time to catch up on sleep, make myself up and take pretty pictures for Facebook likes J But is this life? Living it in compulsion, living it as it comes, living it to please the world….
I have learnt Christianity is nothing like I lived it, it is nothing like I assumed. To be a Christian is to act like Christ; Christ-like. It is a way of life, it is culture- doing things the way our leader would do things. Whether I am eating, walking, talking or thinking~ whether therefore ye eat, or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. I Corithans10:31
It’s like having a role model or mentor and imbibing or inculcating the way he/she does things because you want to be great like your Role model/mentor. Jesus for me is the greatest man that ever lived, that is why He has so many followers but many of these people fail to understand Him and the ways He achieved His humongous success. Most of them choose to remain followers when they can have a mentoring relationship even an intimate relationship with him.
To be just as great and amazing as Jesus ask yourself questions before you act. If Jesus were me, would He drink this juice? Would He wear this pair of jean? Would Jesus think this way? Would Jesus react this way? Would He walk this way?
Let’s take a few cues from our role model,
His Love for Knowledge: Jesus craved to know more than He already did, He stayed back at the temple to learn and ask questions from the scholars at the temple, He was only twelve. The importance of education, learning cannot be stressed here. This is an indication that to be a thought leader, you need to subject yourself to learning every day. Luke 4:22
Due Process; A Christian needs to be baptized in water by immersion which signifies the death with Christ and new birth-new life. Jesus Christ could have decided to skip all that to part where He becomes the messiah or an easier path. Nope! Not an amazing leader, He followed every process to the core, discipline, sacrifice, integrity he saw it all. We all need to walk this way, let’s start by not jumping that queue at the mall ;;) Matthew 3:13-17
Humility: Jesus did not go around with an air of pride or arrogance, it was not impossible for people to see Him. I mean He walked the streets of towns, He was not inaccessible, no body guards, no ensemble of chariots.
Love Unending: This for me is huge! What kind of leader would lay His life down for anyone? I think about this and I have chills down my spine. It is so amazing how Jesus loved us even before we knew Him. His death gives us access to so many good things of life, eternal life, a peaceful life, a life free of sickness and many more. Live a life that oozes so much love, love, love and even more love!
So my dear friends please leave the church-goer zones, leave the followers camp, become a mentee learning under Jesus’ tutelage, even better become His friend talk to Him every day.
There is a whole lot of things to learn about the life of Jesus Christ, to be just like Him, we can live like Him. Refer to your bible, you can as well ask your questions on here.