Hello Everyone,
Funny Title right???
This topic has been tugging on my heart for sometime now and the title popped into my spirit while I was casually lying on my bed some few days ago.
Just some backstory
Some weeks ago, I was privileged to see my discipler and it was a very beautiful time of fellowship. We spent a time a lot of time reminiscing on the days we would have hours of teachings and worship. We also talked about the fact that a true believer is someone that is totally separated unto GOD and nothing else. This discussion hit another chord in my spirit and I knew I just had to do this post.
Now back to the question……..as believers are we celebrities or disciples???
What exactly have we been called to
Who exactly are we pleasing
Who are we yielded to
Who is our desire for
I feel we are in a season where being a christian is fashionable and cool. You hear things like Christian baddie, Sister X with the sauce, Daddy GO with a sprinkle of “wokeness”. While I don’t have anything against being a fun believer I also know that fun is not all christianity is about.
As believers we have been called to be disciples who follow our example doggedly and unreservedly. Being a disciple also means total surrender to the will and purpose of God.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24 NKJV
Then Jesus said unto His disciples, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
The key word here is to give up your own way. What I see a lot of times is that we want to follow God but we still want to have our own way. What the Holy Spirit highlighted to me is that in the kingdom “having the best of both Worlds” does not exist. There is no other way or shortcut to becoming a disciple, you must die to self. While I understand that we are all still a work in progress, a phenomenon that is fast becoming popular is people trying to sell this lie to believers making us think “it is not that deep”.
There is no other way to say this; “It is that deep”.
Just ask yourself;
Am I practicing thesame christianity that God gave His only son for.
Let’s even assume that God is benevolent, do you know that human beings like you and I lost their lives for this same christianity?? I am sure when they were being persecuted it was so that the gospel will continue to prevail and not for us to be living on “vibes”.
We have become celebrities confusing people about what true christianity is. Exactly where do we draw the line. Where do we draw the line on the type of clothes we wear, the kind of music we listen to, the kind of trends we jump on etc
Where do we take a stand for God in this dying world like christian soilders or do we just blend in.
This is a good place to quote one of the lessons I have learnt from Pst Debola Deji-Kurunmi: we must ensure there is contact without contamination. So I am not preaching a life of complete alienation from the world since we have a mandate of colonization. What I am saying is that we are not of this world.
“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
John 17:16 NKJV
I have become more awakened to the things that compete with God in my life and everyday my prayer is for those desires to die. As I allow the word and the Spirit to change me from inside out and as I painfully give up some of those things, I see myself transforming into a new person. Makes me feel like I am right where God wants me to be.
I must say one thing, dying to self is hard. It is not a walk in the park and your flesh will question it, your flesh will rebel , your flesh will fight back but if you persevere with the help of the Spirit, you will overcome.
As we enter into the holiday season, I would drop this scripture that perfectly captures my thoughts.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
I Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV
Love and Revelational Light,
YJ.
VOICE OF SANITY 