Saturday 22 September 2018

"Secret Service Believers"



 
I believe the ultimate expression of pride is any declaration that we might know who is and who is not in the Kingdom of God.

Occasionally due to our religious background, we are fond of thinking others don't belong to the Kingdom as we do. We imagine our works, way of doing things, religious rituals earn us a place in the kingdom and those who don't do it our way don't belong to the kingdom.
All that is expected of us is to believe. It’s not easy to tell by looking at who is believing more than the other. I believe there are a lot of “secret service believers.” We will get shocked that some people made it to heaven and others didn’t. Let’s leave the decision on who is and who is not to God. Our work is to believe. 

When it comes to matters of faith and belief, especially in reference to others, we are clueless. I might see how someone is walking their journey and be tempted to think; they are not as spiritual as I am. They don't read scripture, pray, attend worship, go on a mission or evangelize as I do. So they don't deserve to experience God's blessings and the kingdom as I deserve. The feeling might get into our head that since we practically live within the worship place and have facilitated more people getting to know God, then we are better than others. All these are good, but when we start seeing that we are better than others because we do them, then pride takes control. We are told to be careful when we think we are standing because we may fall. This is a warning on pride. When you think you have it all figured out, be careful. I have listened to a lot of kingdom-minded stories and experiences from people who I may think are not spiritual enough. This is not an excuse for not living out our faith boldly, but it's about the attitude with which we live out this faith.  


 
Some of us want to prove to others that our faith or way of worship is better than yours. It's never about that. It's about love. If your way of worship and belief doesn't lead to more love, then it's all your doing. We are told that if I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
As we know love is not only a public affair but it's more blessed if kept in the context of humility. Not showing off how you are the greatest lover of all. It's in the actions, and no one wants to hear that your loving actions to them have become a public debate, or is doing rounds on social media. Or that you have compiled a dossier of your loving deeds, and thoughts to them. We for sure don’t know who is sharing the love of God or who is loving better than the other. We can talk about their actions, but at the end of the day, God looks at the heart.

So when it comes to deciding who belongs to the kingdom and who doesn't, I suggest we leave it in the hands of God who sees beyond what we can see. Let's continue building and practicing our faith and leave the rest to God. Let’s do our work which is to believe in the one He sent.
If this resonates with you, seek humility. Look for a small community of friends who you can be "Secret Service Believers," with clarity on letting the decision on who is in and who is not in the hands of God. Being accountable to a few and practicing with a few. It’s about building a community of friends to share each other’s journey.  You have to be deeply committed to each other and desire to see each other grow in this journey. You have to create support, encouragement and accountability platform for each other. The community has to be a small as possible so that there is active engagement by all involved.

Find a community around you and see if these conversations make sense to you.




Image Credits: http://www.wca-sa.org
By Gabriel Achayo 


1 comment:

  1. Amen, we should always avoid self righteousness and being judgemental. A powerful message. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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