Will you?

Life is so very busy these days, everyone is in a rush, there is so much to do and so many places to go, many things to attend to. When we get a moment, we just want to unwind going through the phone – Netflix on the go, Instagram, TikTok – at least catch a little bit of laughter. It relaxes us as it releases endorphins into the body. That was what I used to do. After a hard day’s job, I would just get home, do my stuff and then sit in front of the TV. I would watch my shows – I am not hurting anyone (that’s what I always said to myself. A child that works regularly needs to have seasons of relaxation – enjoyment). And then I would binge watch shows - watch for hours on end (I’m not a social media person but tv,…). I could watch tv for 12hours and still go to work the following day (I had done this many times).

Most of the time, I did that to relax and also to numb myself to the challenges of life. Isn’t it interesting that we hypocritically judge the persons who use drugs, alcohol, work or pornography to numb themselves from the reality of the challenges they’re facing and we think we’re better because all we spend our five or twelve hours on is seemingly harmless TikTok, TV, eating. Then I wondered why I used to be afraid, frustrated, open my mouth foolishly, judge others, get angry easily. Of course, I would be all these things as I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing but majoring in what I shouldn’t give much attention.

My revival started in December 2022 when I joined my church in Nigeria (TPH - online) in a 21 days fasting and prayer – this sparked for me again the Grace of intercession. Afterwards I went to someone’s home, who after telling me a testimony of GOD’S faithfulness over a family member told me that GOD sought for a man (And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none - Ezekiel 22:30). I got home that day and started praying that GOD finds in me a man. I’m still in that revival stage (forever may it continue).

If we look at the issues around us, there are so many ills in this world – people being killed needlessly, kidnappings, no justice, wickedness prevailing. Lewdness is the order of the day. Laws are changing to accommodate wickedness, lies are celebrated and the truth is killed daily before our eyes. You don’t even need to go looking for distraction, it lives with you. Yet life has never been busier.

Many times, we Christians see all these and we are unhappy about it. We talk about the perversions, the distractions when we come into our little cocoon with other believers; how the world has gotten worse and all that. For those that have GOD conscience, we say our two minutes prayer like a silence in remembrance of the dead. We go back home, we tune in to our channels, turn to our TikTok and Instagram or even our Christian things on YouTube, go to bed. Wake up the following day (15mins later that expected); no time to pray as we don’t want to be late for work. At least GOD knows we have families to feed; at least we’re contributing to the society and the Church. We need our work to do that. And the cycle continues but things are getting worse by the minute.

Then we get on the trains and see the beggars now boarding the trains to ask for alms. We see all the homeless people on the streets, we see people carrying placards demanding for things that don’t make sense. We hear laws being changed and we know this shouldn’t pass but it does. We hear of wars and rumours of wars. We hear of famine and people dying of hunger in societies with enormous wealth (to name but a few). We feel pained as Christians – if as a Christian you don’t feel pained, then we need to check who’s your daddy.

We feel pained but we feel we can’t do anything about it. At least, Jesus has promised to come back to us (‘this world is not my own, I am just passing by.’), they’ll know what darkness is when we leave (that’s what I used to say to myself).

We see all these things, feel all these pains but we still believe that we don’t even have enough time in the day – there’s so much to do. We can’t even seem to get a breather. The pastors should be praying for six hours a day; after all, what’s their job? (Our cities, towns and villages would change if each minister prayed six hours a day, though – my thought. And they don't have to pray six hours at a go, they can spread it throughout the day).

But for those of us that are not ministers, we are just ‘lay men,’ do we absolve ourselves of responsibilities that Jesus passed unto every one of us?

The below is a quote that I learnt as a little child which I still love.

“There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.” - Charles R. Swindoll.

TBC