Categories: Obedience

Hello God

A few days back, we had a fellowship. That’s a routine anyways. My friends and I always meet at least once a week to share life, and encourage each other. This day however, we had a very sensitive area to tackle, “God is light”. This topic normally thrills me, but I know it’s the truth, God is actually light. It doesn’t thrill me because I doubt it, but because I feel the standard could be too high for me to attain. I’ll explain later why I feel this way.

After two hours of thorough analysis, in-depth conversations about our insights to the topic, one of us asked a question;

“are all lies sin”?

Well, we all had no idea why he asked that. We were forced to ask him to give us his opinion first. He seemed to be asking a question that he honestly needed an answer for. He told us his explanation like this;

“Suppose I get to alleged to have stolen something, just because I happen to be dressed like someone who happened to have stolen something, then I make haste to your house. If you’re asked if you know where I am, and you say, ‘I don’t know’, I feel that is not sin, but saving an innocent life”.

Well, maybe the lie saved a breath. But has it truly saved a life?

It’s really no doubt that the most common questions among religious folks are, “is it right…”, “is it wrong…”, “is it sinful…”, and all such as revolves around, “just let me know, I’ll figure it out myself”. Infact, if God had a phone, I suppose a lot of calls to him would be to find self-justifying means.

We feel if we say;

“Hello God! What must I do to get eternal life?”,

Then we will find an easy way to figure out what to do to solve the must-do activities. Unfortunately, knowing what to do is not knowing how to do. Actually, the men of old did that; they sought for rules, just so they don’t have to follow God at every step. This didn’t help.

Sin becomes exceeding sinful if we know what to do, but still not do it. If the rule says, “don’t covet”, it’s that simple, just don’t covet. But what if I still find myself coveting even when I know I shouldn’t? Will I plead my ignorance of coveting rule, or will I plead my human nature? Will I plead Adam’s sin, or my weakness? Whatever it is, is it sufficient to justify us.

When I was a kid, I was taught that it is sin to abuse anyone. Well, for a couple of weeks, we kept repeating how sinful that is. We were taught that sinners are children of the devil. We were told time and again of where the devil and his followers will go at the end of time. In spite of all these, I didn’t know how to control my tongue whenever I got angry. I didn’t know how to help myself. My guilt consumed me whenever people recited how sinful it is to abuse, and how sinners will go to hell.

For a number of times, even as a child I contemplated just accepting to be a sinner, and forget heavens was ever made for me. But what about my family? They struggle hard to follow the rules to make it to the standard of God. Does this mean I’ll miss them forever? They’ll go to heaven, and me elsewhere? Well, I just can’t live without my family. My unbridled tongue made my life hard as a child.

When I became an adult, I was taught God is light. I was taught that no one who walks in the darkness knows God. Whenever I asked what I should do to walk in the light, I was taught things like read your Bible, listen to good music, be with good people, and things like such.

These counsels seemed easy by the time they were brought out. Even so, I realised that whenever my cool was tested, I blew up. Yes, I still did. My blowing up led me to doing treacherous things. I felt more guilty, knowing I’m not doing enough to walk in the light. Infact, it only implies that I don’t have what it takes to truly walk in the light. This means one thing, I don’t know God, much less, God doesn’t know me.

For a long time, I kept asking my leaders what’s really happening to me. Some told me a deadly consolation, “changes come slowly, it’ll be alright, trust God”. This again seemed a cool idea for the most part, but soon, it started making me comfortable. I started feeling somewhat not so guilty. Infact, it became okay for me to do whatever I could when I’m angry, and just say, “changes come slowly”. Positive confession, right? A slow death infact.

I realised that the most important thing is not where I’m, what I’m doing, or who I’m with, but what direction I’m taking. I maybe was with good people, but for real, we were not heading to the same direction. The saying was getting fulfilled, “hearing, they will hear, but will not understand”. I didn’t need any more time in my comfort. I needed change.

Perhaps you also are like I once was, this a good point to start from. The direction we’re heading determines our desires, attitude, feelings, and emotions. If we see ourselves in evil desires, and not able to control it, it simply means we are not set for the right direction, we need to change the direction. But how though? How shall we change the direction so that we can have hope?

As for me, I got so tired of the wrong comfort. I felt that the pieces of advice that I was given was never helping me. Maybe I was over ambitious, or I just wasn’t patient enough. I saw my future turning darker and foggy. I had no choice, but to have the business just between me and God. Really easy, I conversed with God.

Hello God! Can you help me?

Hello son! Can you follow me?

God had to be kidding me, right? Actually, no. God was serious. The only way we can walk in the light is by walking with God.

Any path that does not include God, however rich it is, it’s a wrong path. If God doesn’t get to our ways of worship, preaching, writing, singing, or even charity, our service is man made. Even when we call the name of Jesus in our actions, or the name of Allah in our d’uahs, if God does not lead it, it’s all a self justifying mechanism that can’t make us pass the standard of God.

Remember the time God promised a law not written on stones, but in the heart. Do you remember that that law would not require a teacher? Well, I realised that law was Himself. With God, we can walk in the light, produce the fruits of light, hear of the light, and do of the light. Jesus actually makes it clear in saying, “without me, you can do nothing”.

Remember Jesus declaring that he is the way? Well, no other way but Jesus. No other action but Jesus. No other truth but Jesus. Actually, no other redemption, but Jesus. If we take him out of our routine, and think following a few of his commands, like preach to all nations, or pray for the sick is sufficient to heal our relationship with God, we are wrong. If that was the case, the laws and prophets were more than sufficient to restore us to God, but no, only Jesus could.

On a nutshell, removing God from His instructions is the most deadly thing. God’s instructions can not be achieved without God’s enablement. This is why we need God when we sing, or listen to godly songs. We need God when we preach or read good books. We need God when we set for missions, or give our gifts to others. We need God at all times if we want to be of the light.

Does this mean one will not stumble? Well, maybe some will not. But for many, they will. There’s a difference between stumbling, and being defeated. We may all stumble, but only those with God can get back up. To accept defeat is the same thing as defending the fallen nature.

My good friend said this;

To preach what you don’t do is hypocrisy, but he who rebrands sin to make it look less sinful is worse, he teaches others to enjoy sin.

Pharisees were warned for not practicing what they preach, but At least they preached what was right, but today we have leaders who practice what they preach, yet their sermons lead to destruction.

The Pharisees said what was right, but following them would lead to death. Many religious leaders preach with darkened zeal, laying a different foundation, and walking in such foundation. Do you think following what they say or what they do can draw you close to God? Judge it for yourself.

Jesus said this,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

If we are the sheep of his flock, we ought to hear his voice. Not just the voice of someone imposing as God’s servants. Actually, many false prophets already did that, anyone who followed them did not find life. Some found wealth on earth, but none found life.

Even as you get ready to say hello God, get ready to hear God. A communication where one is left with only assumptions, is no communication.