#4 - On Sin and Sinning

Sin is not angering an easily enraged or indifferent God. It is spitting on the face of a loving Father and bruised Saviour.

 

There are many things that draw out controversy and one of such is the topic of sin. In fact, the topic of sin is soo awkward that it is literally a conversation killer. Like if you just WANT to end a conversation flow in a mixed (READ: nonreligious) crowd, just chip in something like this:

“Sooo, what do you guys think of pre-marital sex.”

Silence.

A cough.

Then a brave soul.

“Errm…well. It’s bad?”

That’s it. You have effectively ended the conversation coming at your direction (this is a bonus tip for anyone who wants to learn how to survive in socially awkward situations. You’re welcome). It is easier and less awkward to talk about the weather and the news than it is to talk about sin.

Why? Because we all either sin, will sin or have sinned. And let’s be honest, it is easier to talk about how clear the sky is today than to talk about ME and my failings. If it didn’t rain today or if the dollar rate has risen, it was the weather or President Buhari that failed. Not me.

But when it is sin, I have to put myself in that awkward position of scrutiny. And when confronted with it, I shuffle my feet, study a particularly fascinating pattern on my skirt, shrug in a let’s-look-flippant way and mutter, “Well, I…err…struggle…sometimes.”

But the truth is, the topic of sin is so crucial that we should always want to talk about it. This topic was so important that three chapters into the first book of the Bible, it shows up and from there everything got disrupted and it started showing up more often than we would have liked. In fact, as I was recently going through the history books of the Bible, I got a good sense that Sin was the central theme.

But, what is sin?

This question is probably a no-brainer since we all seem to know what sin is but I think a large portion of us are more ignorant on this topic than we care to admit. Because 80 percent of the time when I ask this question in a religious crowd, I get something along the lines of: "It is anything you do that is against God's commandment." While this is true in some sense, it is not essentially how God sees sin.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11 – KJV)

When God made the world and all that is in it, He did so with some intent in His heart. He made everything beautiful and holy but then sin walks in and messes the whole thing up. Sin is not essentially the action, sin is the intent. It is a nature. It is losing God in the knowledge of what we do.It is either being blind or blindfolded (depending on what side of the coin you fall). It is having SERIOUS loyalty issues. It is not coming up against God’s law. It is coming up against God Himself.

We were made for GOD’S pleasure. We were made for Him, not for ourselves. The second we step outside this ideal and start pleasing ourselves, WE SIN. Therefore, anything I do that is outside God’s pleasure IS SIN. It doesn’t matter if it is on the list of good deeds, if it is not FOR God, then well, yeah, sin wins.

I guess you would already be shaking your head thinking, “How can this be possible? It is so hard. How do I even know what God wants anyways?” This begins to give us a sense that we are in an impossible situation here. The nature of sin in us, the one we are used to is one that is alien to God, by nature opposed to Him and all that He is. We may be moralists for a while, but even in that, the ultimate intent remains to promote ourselves, making it sin.

We need a miracle.

Then, (*drum roll*) enter Jesus! He comes in and saves us from this impossible fix by his suffering on the cross and subsequent resurrection, effectively dealing with our sins and the nature of sin in us, through our belief. He doesn’t bother with plucking out the fruits but roots out the tree from the very ground it stands. He gives us the nature where, as Ezekiel 36:27 puts it “I will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my laws and teachings.”

That’s one side of the coin.

The other part is this: Christians still sin. A lot. It is a reality that we face because we live in a fallen world and a body so used to sin. Now, here’s where I make my point (the lesson I’m learning). When I sin as a Christian, I effectively spit upon my Saviour’s face. I turn against him and his death. Because sin is EVERYTHING he died for. My sin was so serious it caused the very God of the universe HIS LIFE. 

It wasn’t just a little prank I played or a joke I didn’t mean, it was deadly and caused God’s son His LIFE. And I’m not just talking about giving His life on the cross, but also living for 33years or so in a depraved world without sinning. It is so serious that Jesus said I would be better off sawing my arm off or plucking my eyes out than to sin. Therefore, I have to lose the consciousness of this to sin. I have to lose sight of the cross, the price of my sin, turn my back on Him; the Father who gave all for me.

I have taken His gift for granted. I have walked away from His table and gone to feed on dirt. I have walked with blindfolds. I have hurt God. I have angered God. I have disappointed God. I have hurt myself.
 
He doesn't find this amusing.

It is very serious.

And this is how He sees sin in me.

Sometimes, I thoughtlessly do some things and forget this truth. Why can’t I be more conscious of the cross? Living a crucified life is a liberating one. But it demands from me. It demands that I leave my all, my ideals, my LIFE on His altar. That I DIE. But no one wants to die right?

And herein lies the fix. Herein lies victory.

The Cross.

Side Note:

“Don’t cause the Holy Spirit sorrow by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who marks you to be present on that day when salvation from sin will be complete.” (Ephesians 4:30 – TLB)
 
Alright, I have said what I think know sin is.

So, what is your definition of sin?


Side Side Note:

Oh, and a book I will totally recommend for you on this topic is "The Smell of sin and the Fresh air of Grace" by Don Everts.

You could check the link or contact me if you'd like a copy.  





*Based on the "What I have been learning" series.

#3 – Busy being busy

A multitude of activities doth not a success make...

Image source: Unknown

I used to have a veerry cluttered desktop. No, not the wooden one. My virtual desktop. Computer. This is mostly because I have tones of sticky notes flying around. Notes, tips and several goals I placed on my PC to help organize my life.

My tiff is however not with my love-hate-relationship with sticky notes. I like sticky notes, really I do and maybe a little clutter too. But the quarrel is with myself.

Here is why…

The ONLY reason I have tonnes of sticky notes is because I have tonnes of unfinished tasks. Somehow, it feels really good writing those notes down. And I won’t argue there are benefits, but the problem is after making dozens of bullet point goals, I sit back and admire my art of goal setting. But, after some weeks, I come back and if I still find those tasks undone, I begin to feel like I have…err…failed.

I define the quality of my life and ultimately my success by the number if things I am able to accomplish. This has always been one of my twisted ways of defining success. That the measure of success is being able to manage different things at the same time and succeed at all. I always thought, “Oh, you are good at that? Just that? What is the fun in that?” You see, this should not surprise you (maybe it doesn’t ‘cos you think the same way) as I am a serial multi-tasker. All ladies are. The quintessential Juliet-of-all-trades…err…master of…umm…err...none?

But it gets frustrating like I said, when I come back only to find I was not able to accomplish most of those tasks. It gets even worse when on some days I know I should be doing something but then just sit staring blankly at my bullet point list trying to figure out what to do. Ironic right? I mean I have many things to do already. Right?

Sigh.

Then I found something.

“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” (John 17:4 – NKJV)

Did you get that? Jesus said, ‘I have finished the work YOU gave me to do’. Not ‘the work Peter gave me to do’. Or ‘the work the Pharisees want me to do.’ But the work YOU gave me to do. Each time I pictured Jesus, I used to see Him as this super busy activity overlord who was running around healing the sick, preaching and generally doing good without a breather. But this is not true. Inasmuch as he was far from idle (John 9:4), he couldn’t possibly have been that busy if he could sit and draw circles in the stand, have relaxed conversations with strangers he met at the well, or have dinner parties with sinners. There were gazillions of sick people and lots of requests and expectations from him (many expected him to be an earthly king who would overthrow the Roman government), but he did only what God gave Him to do.

You see, this is key. I have realized that the only one I will report to is God. He is the one who holds the blueprint for my life. My duty is therefore, to find this blueprint on a daily basis. Instead of wasting time running off frantically in busyness, I should spend all that time finding what He wants me to do. I will be shocked to find that what he requires of me is blessedly simple. I should just chill and follow Him. This is not only wise but time-efficient.

Doing this, will drastically simplify our lives. God wants us to live full lives. Not busy lives. He wants us to live to the fullest. Love to the fullest. Abundant life. He wants to stretch us. But He doesn’t want us wasting precious time running at every one’s beck and call and generally getting burned out trying to compete with the world’s standard of success.

Busyness is great but can leave us blindly chasing results and not process. It sometimes has us leaving brush strokes all around and forgetting to admire the beautiful painting that is our lives. It can leave us as doers instead of livers.
 
Am I saying not to push yourself to the limit? Am I saying to be mediocre? Far from it! God will push you to your limits, His plans are anything but mediocre. What I am saying is this: shed off the extra load! De-clutter your life. The only burden you want in your life is that which God places on you. And it will shock you to find it is very light!

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 – NKJV).
 
His burden is light if we take it up with joy and surrender. Pause a little. Review your to-do list. For whom are you doing them? If the answer is not God, then immediately strike them off your list. Now, begin to ask God, “What will you have me do?” Sometimes, you cannot sit idle and wait for God to move you. Take one step in faith first and watch Him guide you. Because a success is not a busy person but an obedient, purposeful person.

I may not do all the great things I dream of doing. I may not go all the places I desire to go. I may not make all the money I want to. I may not please everybody, even myself. I may not fill every moment of my life with ‘great’ activities. But I will do all God expects of me. I will settle for what He wants even if it looks insignificant in the world’s eyes. Things like faith, love, hope, joy…silence. I will work tirelessly for His beautiful will. I will wait on and for Him.

And maybe that’s okay.

Side Note:

In summary: 
 
Whatever you do, don’t EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVERRR, EVER, EVER get too busy for God.

Ever.

Sorry, I was testing my copy and paste skills :)

Okay, here goes: Whatever you do, don't ever get too busy for God.



*Based on the "What I have been learning" series.

#2 – On God’s love

God loves me unconditionally. He loves me because He is Love and not because I am lovely.

I had a terrible day the other day. It was so horrible I was on the verge of tears. Don’t ask me about it because it is not a gist for today. And if you are really interested, you can grab me whenever you see me and ask me about it. I’ll be polite. Except I’m having another bad day -__-

Alright, where was I?

Yeah, I had a horrible day. The day was so so so bad. In fact it was not palatable at all. I felt like I had probably woken on the wrong side of the bed and maybe as Sara Groves puts it, the wrong side of the world. It was just horrible. Ick.

Okay, I’m sure you get the idea.

So, I was having this phenomenally bad day, and to make it worse, most of it was my own folly. I had made some terrible decisions and crossed some lines that day. And as I sat on the slab, licking my wounds and battling the tears, I began to get in the ‘sorry me’ mood. You know, the one where you suddenly remember all the things wrong with your life and how you are the innocent victim of life...yadda, yadda, yadda. Yeah, that one.
 
But as I am wont to do, I did not chalk the horribleness of my day to a few bad decisions alone. I dug deeper and realized that all these could be traced to just one bad decision I made that morning or maybe several of those before then.

I missed my time with God.

Okay, so you may roll your eyes and snort thinking, “And so?” But for me, this was huge (or I want it to be huge. It should be [this is another long post]). And somehow, I began to think that maybe, just maybe God was getting back at me for standing him up too long. Of course, I tried to shake this feeling off immediately it came, saying I knew better.

But the suspicion was there.

We are like this a lot of times. We believe that God’s love for us is based on our performance. We feel loved when we act well but unloved when we act badly but this is a lie.  In fact, it was while we were still dead to God in sin and cared nothing for Him that He demonstrated His love for us (Romans 5:28). It was while we were enemies of God and were wanderers lost in our own folly that He extended a hand of fellowship to us.

God loves us because He is Love. This is His nature. He cannot help but love. He loves because He is love and not because we are lovely. Nothing we do or don’t do will make Him love us more or less. We cannot coerce Him to love us because we don’t have to.

 “The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]” (1 John 4:8 – Amplified Bible).

That’s just the way it is. And of course there are times we do fall short and begin to wonder about whether we deserve to be loved. I know I wonder. But, the truth is we don’t, we don't deserve it and it is in this state that we can truly appreciate the nature of Love. The nature of love is the nature of God. We don’t have to feel loved, all we need is to trust in His word and His profession of love He splatters over the pages of the Bible. 

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – NKJV).
 
Did you get that? Love is patient. God is patient. He is kind, and every other character of love stated above is HIM. Get it? Christ asked us to forgive our brother 7 times 70 times a day. And I believe that if God could ask that of us, then He would at least do the same. He cannot ask of us something He himself has not done or cannot do. So yeah, God is enduring. And all that.

The more we understand about this love of God, the more we are propelled to love Him. An active indication of not loving God is that we do NOT understand God’s love. Also, when life comes barelling at us like a raged bull, reflecting on His love keeps us. We struggle with a lot of issues because the love of God is still not real to us. For if we understood, how can we not respond favorably to a One so dear? How?

God is love and ALL that He does for us is born out of the love He has for us. It may look unloving to us, but ultimately He is loving us through the process and redefining our perception of what love really is. He is giving us Himself through and through. We may not like the process. We may bend and pass through fire.

But faith sits and watches.

She waits before the ashes.

She nods and mutters;

“It is well. Love is here.”

Side Note:

Again I sit and wonder. I cry in my heart with a desperation that I cannot contain.

'Lord, make this real to me yet!'

For if indeed I understood, would I still keep love waiting? Would I continue to gather worthless jewels while He awaits? Will I not pick up my cross and walk the path of love? Will I not be responsive?

Reality. Yes, all I need.

Reality.

**Based on the 'What I have been learning series.**

#1: On Loving God

Loving God is so beautiful. It is my duty and I have to decide to do it, consciously.

One of the most helpful things that Jesus did for us was the clarity of His teachings. He was so clear about some issues that we tend to get confused about them. Agreed, some of Jesus’ teachings, like His parables can be quite difficult to understand sometimes but most of his words were just so clear cut. I guess our confusion has to do with our tendency to want to complicate things. God is so simple we find it hard to understand him.

                                     ************************************

“…Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The one that says, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only God. And you must love him with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.’ “The second is: ‘You must love others as much as yourself.’ No other commandments are greater than these.” The teacher of religion replied, “Sir, you have spoken a true word in saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is far more important to love him with all my heart and understanding and strength, and to love others as myself, than to offer all kinds of sacrifices on the altar of the Temple.” Realizing this man’s understanding, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:26-35 – TLB)

I can almost imagine the crowds circled round Jesus, with some of them shuffling their feet awkwardly, some nodding and others just giving him a blank look as they almost asked, “That’s it?”  They probably stared at Jesus for a long time as they mentally pictured scrolls upon scrolls filled with the laws Yahweh handed to Moses, comparing all those rules with the simplicity of Jesus’ words and wondering how he could say that was all. Love.

But that is the SIMPLE truth. This is all it takes. This is all he asks of us; that we love, that we be faithful in giving our all. And considering all he has done for us, this is not too much to ask. Really. We have not been called to do anything but love. We have been called to be faithful. We have been called to walk with God and to be portals who give as we have received.

What then does it mean to love God?

First, it is a choice, as it always is with God. As much as he desires that we love him, God would not force it on us. Doing so is hardly love. How would you feel if someone came to visit you simply because they had been compelled to do so? You would rather they had stayed back! 

God created us as with freewill because he wants to delight and find pleasure in us. He desires to see us choose him. Over our fears, over our ambitions, over our desires and our desperate need for acceptance. He wants to be above all that. He wants us to choose Him. And I guess this is all it boils down to. Choosing to love with all our understanding, heart and strength.

Who do we choose? In that moment when we are torn between loyalty to God and the seductions of the enemy, who wins the bet on our lives? Do we weigh God on a scale with those enticements and shrug, deciding that after all, those things weigh more than he does? I have been thinking about this. When I open my mouth to say God is worthy, do I really mean it? Am I not weighing him with those other things and deciding that maybe, just maybe God isn’t worth as much as them?

You see, it goes beyond singing a couple of beautiful songs. I mean, I like songs. Really I do. But can we just cut out the hypocrisy a little bit? Can we allow our hearts speak before our vocal chords enter a frenzy of melodies? Can we just stop for a second to understand the meaning of the words we let spew out our lips? Is it too much to ask that we find substance to back up our words? Because words on their own are very cheap; anyone can afford them. 

So, loving God is beyond what we profess. It is beyond the fancy stickers, hashtags, lyrics and pretty words.

“Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all;” (1John 5:3 – TLB).

That’s it. It’s just so really simple. But do I get this? Do you?

So, secondly, loving God is doing what he tells us. It is doing his bidding without hesitation or regret. It is seeking to please the Father who gave his all for us. It is trusting his instructions knowing that the one who gave his very life for us has a beautiful plan in everything. It is devotion that is more than routine. It is giving our all.  It is loving people. It is worship.

It is letting go.

It is making room.

It is beautiful.

And this is what I am learning to do. Picking up my cross. Choosing this cross with joy and a sense of privilege at the beauty that I finally get to love the one who sought me out when I didn’t even care anything for him. It may seem hard (even though it really is not, “for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.” - 1John 5:4). It will cause me to bleed and maybe even die.

But I will choose life.

I will choose love.

Even if it means my life.

Side Note: 

It would be nice if you could pray about this.

Seriously.

**This post is based on the "What I have been learning" series.

A YEAR OF QUIET REST

Hey guys! A gracious 2016 to you. May God’s light continue to shine brighter on your path.

God has been so faithful over the years and I am expectant for a greater future. And hopefully, this time around I will be able to do something more meaningful on this blog but who knows? (No, it has nothing to do with the fact that I am only just writing my first post for the year. Don’t judge me abeg).

Alright, if you insist. Brace up for the excuses.

Number one: ………

Okay, okay. I accept your apology :/

Seriously though, I actually planned to post something earlier but you know, life. But, it was prolly more because I didn’t know what to write about. You will notice that hasn’t changed. I’ve been having this ah…block lately. But that’s what happens when a girl doesn’t write in a long time. Hmph! Serves her right.

Alright, I was thinking I’ll start something with the “What I have been learning”  series. I’ll just pick each of those items on my list and discuss. By my calculation, there are about 35 of them. This means at least 35 posts for 2016 (0__0).

Breathe.

It’s not that much of a tall order now, considering I posted 15 articles in 2015. It’s just 35 posts, how hard can that be?

I am reaallyy tempted to draw a time-table or something right now but maybe I shouldn’t. Or should I? And if you are wondering how I am going to go about this, this is how:

“The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:7 – NLT).

Away from blogging, I’m hoping for a lot of things this year. I did try at setting some goals and I’m trusting God’s grace will see them through. Don’t worry, I’ll share the testimony when the time comes. My watch scripture for the year? (at least for now):

“Lord, I am not proud and haughty. I don’t think myself better than others. I don’t pretend to “know it all.” I am quiet now before the Lord, just as a child who is weaned from the breast. Yes, my begging has been stilled. O Israel, you too should quietly trust in the Lord—now, and always.” (Psalm 131 – TLB).

That’s it. Quiet trust and a thorough satisfaction in God alone, no matter what.

Then and only then is He glorified.

Side Note:
What are those huge goals you’ve set for yourself this year? Why not commit them to God? For His ‘passionate commitment’ is able to see them fulfilled. And above all else, whatever happens, trust in God and be satisfied in Him.

Then is He glorified.