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Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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Why Are You Running? 3 Lessons on Disobedience

Running or choosing not to act upon a command, which we believe is from God, is disobedience. So is our unwillingness to submit to the authority of God by surrendering our wants to His will. And this has consequences. Look at Jonah. When we know God is asking us to do something why do we run? Why does our fear cause us to be disobedient to God? Here are three lessons on disobedience we can learn from what happened with Jonah.

Lesson 1: We can’t run from God

Jonah tried to run away in disobedience. In his attempt to escape the consequences, he boarded a ship to Tarshish to flee from the presence of God (Jonah 1:3). But he didn’t make it very far, instead, he was caught in a storm (v.4). The response to our disobedient behaviour is to flee in denial or shame. We choose to avoid communion with God as we know what we have done. We should know this is futile, as the Psalmist writes:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there

Psalm 139:7-8

There is truly nowhere we can run or hide that God will not find us, even in our disobedience. We may distance ourselves from His presence but God is still there, overseeing everything. Jonah learnt this the hard way when the captain and crew of the ship discovered the storm was from God. We can learn from his choices.

Lesson 2: Disobedience costs, Grace restores

The immediate price Jonah paid was to be thrown from his escape ship into the sea. Eventually, he ended up in the belly of a whale for three days (Jonah 1:10-17). When we run, where does our disobedience lead us? Most times we end up in situations we shouldn’t be in, doing things we shouldn’t be doing which leaves us with regrets about our poor choices. Thankfully, we are graced with a merciful and kind God who offers us forgiveness for our wrongdoings just as He did for the people of Ninevah.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Jonah 3:10

One may question where the grace would be in this situation for Jonah? Well, although Jonah was stuck in a whale, he wasn’t digested by the whale but thrown out after a few days unto dry land as God instructed (Jonah. 2:10). Despite our disobedience, as with Jonah, God still finds a way to show mercy and deliver us from our mistakes.

Lesson 3: God knows best

In this case, Jonah’s disobedience would have led to the perishing of the people of Nineveh. Jonah had assessed the situation and decided they were not worthy for him to do as God commanded. But how much did Jonah really know about God’s plan? We too can make harsh and quick conclusions about the task God has asked us to complete. The challenge seems too big, the risk seems too much thus we decide it is not worth it and choose to do the opposite of what God wanted from us. We are disobedient.

Yet God has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If God needs us to go talk to that stranger on the street, give money, travel on a mission trip, quit our jobs or anything that may seem out of the norm – our response should be yes, “not my will but Yours be done”. Just as Jesus did when He went unto the cross and died for our sins. We only have to trust.

Whatever God is asking of us today, instead of running in disobedience, turn to him and ask for strength. There are times when it’s just our fear or feelings of inadequacy stopping us from fulfilling God’s request. So instead of running away, run to the source who will surely supply what we need (Phil 4:19).

Dear Burned-Out University Student

Shumi Mararike
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Dear Burned-Out University Student

The time has come once again. You’re halfway through semester two at university. The assignments are rolling in. Before you know it,  your modules will be finished, deadlines met and exams knocking at the door. Your coffee intake increasing, panic is building and you’ve become far too familiar with all-nighters. In your mind, all this is necessary otherwise you risk becoming a failure. The fear of failure can be paralysing, causing you to dread the future. The panic is likely to run you to the ground. Sooner or later you will burn out. However, when consumed by worry, you need to re-calibrate your thoughts and your habits. A good starting point is to dispel a couple of myths. Firstly, failing to achieve your goals does not make you a failure. Secondly, your grades do not decide who you are. Your identity is centred on Christ, not your academic achievements.

Thinking About our Academic Success

Academic success does not determine who you are. I know that may be hard to believe in such a result-oriented world. Everything around you may be screaming otherwise. Your next stage after university may hinge on your exam final results. For example, whether you secure a graduate job may depend on the degree classification you achieve. Alternatively, you may fear disappointing others by failing to attain a certain grade, viewing studies as a waste of time and money.

These are real and understandable concerns. I struggle with these thoughts, and several other worries; I’m fairly certain you do too. Our academic performance is important. We must strive to score as highly as possible in every single piece of work. But we cannot be tempted to believe that if we fail to meet our objectives then we ourselves are failures. Our academic performance, good or bad, does not define who we are. It is not the metric by which God values us. Our value and identity is grounded in who we are in Christ.

As a Christian, your value lies in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, you became a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now you belong to Him (1 Corinthians 3:23; Galatians 3:29). Through Him, you are forgiven (Colossians 1:14; 1 John 2:12). You are righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:19). You are God’s child’s (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1), loved with a greater love than any human father can give (Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13). As a child of God, you are a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) and an heir of God’s infinite fortunes. God has an imperishable inheritance reserved for you in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Whether you pass or fail, God is loyal in His love toward you and your status in Christ is unchanged. All of the above remains true of you. God loves you now and will never cease to love you in spite of your academic performance.

Practical tips as you study

In light of this comforting truth, we can change the way we think and approach our work. Here are some practical tips to help us in our studies as exams and assignments approach.

1. Get enough sleep

It is no secret that we do our best work when we get enough sleep. Experts suggest that adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. All-nighters and a lack of sleep are unsustainable in the long run. Eventually, they will hinder the completion of our daily tasks and final exam performance. Sleep is imperative if we are to make the best use of the time God gives us in the day. Let’s make sure we get plenty of it.

2. Progressive overload

Progressive overload is a principle of training. Put simply, this states that to train effectively, you must gradually increase the workload. The same can be said for our revision and exam preparation. By progressively increasing the work we do, we begin to adjust to the amount. This allows us to steadily increase how much work we do overtime whilst avoiding the disappointment of constantly failing to complete our tasks. This encourages manageable and productive work.

3. Address anxious thoughts through prayer

Anxious thoughts are inevitable. Doubts will creep in. When we find ourselves entertaining them, we need to combat these lies with the truth of Scripture. Acknowledge your need and depend on God. Exercise your privileges as a child of God and bring your worries to Him in prayer and His peace will rule over your anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7).

4. Work to the glory of God

Because our academic performance does not affect our standing before God, we have a new motivation: to bring glory to Him in everything we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Work in a manner that pleases God. Complete every piece of work to the best possible standard, fitting for the King of Kings. Be fuelled by a desire to please God, and in turn impress your examiners (Colossians 3:23). The motivation is not fear, but a grateful response to His love and kindness expressed in the opportunity He has given us in our studies.

As our work intensifies and the pressure increases, let’s decide to think differently. We should constantly remind ourselves that our academic success does not give us our worth before God: Christ does. Our value comes from Him. We are loved and approved through Jesus, and that is unchanging. Let this give you peace as you complete your studies with excellence by the grace of God.

The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Chude Obuaya
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The Solution To A Boring Christian Life

Think back to when you first became a Christian. The glee on your face, the fire in your burns, the warmth in your heart. As we journey along with Christ and His people, the Christian life can have seasons of mundanity. Some seasons of mundanity last longer than others and this can leave us disillusioned with whether the joy promised in Scripture can be ours. A boring Christian life could make us long for the days of unrighteousness that seemed littered with fun. But to paraphrase John Piper, what is fun about something that will leave us eternally damned? There must be a better way.

New Tastebuds

On the way to the cross, Jesus stops in the garden of Gethsemane to pray. He takes his three closest disciples with Him to pray. Upon returning to them, He finds them asleep. In response, He says “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The disciples chose sleep when they were meant to pray. We can often choose sin when righteousness is the better way. When we are regenerated, we are given a new spirit with new affections (Ezekiel 36:26 c.f. 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we have new tastebuds. This doesn’t mean that all the things we did as unbelievers were sins, but it does mean that we had no desire to please Christ (Isaiah 53:6 c.f. Romans 3:10-12). Now that we are in Christ those tastebuds that have been renewed can often yearn for things that just be distasteful to us. Like someone trying to be consistent with their diet, it can just get boring eating the same thing. A little nibble from the cake of this world won’t hurt, will it?

Sin Has An Appetite

Unlike, incorporating snacks into your diet, sin cannot be digested in controlled amounts. Paul is clear if you live according to the flesh you will die (Romans 8:13). When the Christian life gets boring, it can be tempting to look at the rearview mirror of life and see how fun things used to be. Walking in obedience, fighting sin, and loving your neighbour can be tiresome. It doesn’t always immediately produce fruit and it can cause you to think “what’s the point of persevering?”. The answer we are given when our spiritual walk plateaus is to just fight the stagnation. But what if there is a better way? What if Jesus doesn’t want us to try harder but to deepen our joy? God doesn’t want us to limp our way to glory, forcing ourselves to like Jesus. Instead, God wants us to know this love that caused His Son to die for sinners, receive this love, delight in this love and tell others about this love. Perhaps the reason we have boring periods in our Christian life is that we simply don’t delight in God enough. Maybe we have adopted a Christianity that seeks God for what He can do rather than who He is. If we want a Christian life that is filled with the joy that can engulf the temptations of life, then we need our eyes fixed our eyes on Jesus who walked the road we travel on (Hebrews 12:2). When we do, we will be able to say with the psalmist “… my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation” (Psalm 35:8).

How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

Oluwaseyi Sobogun
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How to Tackle The Grey Areas in Our Faith?

There are issues we face where we can find clear guidance on how to respond in the bible, the black and white. But there also exist those in-between areas which are less clear, the grey areas. Those are more difficult to tackle. For example, the latest Netflix show has just been released. It seems everyone is talking about it – discussions on Twitter, blog posts, and even your colleagues at work are interested in this new show. Naturally, we want to find out more in case we are missing out. However, a trusted friend has advised us to avoid watching the show as they see the content as sinful. What do we do?

Although this example used a TV show, we can encounter similar dilemmas in relationships, socialising and other personal decisions.  How do we tackle those areas in our faith?

Why do we want to engage?

So, the bible has not explicitly written about this particular issue nor does it instruct us not to watch this TV show or movie. However, it does state that we should think about whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, pure, lovely and so forth in Philippians 4:8. We must consider how that aligns with whatever activity we wish to engage in. A great way to do this, using the example of the TV show, is to read the synopsis. They are helpful, and easily accessible to explain the details of the show. Is watching or participating in this activity going to build us up in our faith or lead us down the path to sin?

All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things builds up.

1 Corinthains 10:23

Although we are free to engage in all activities, within reason, there are those more damaging to our faith. It can be a task to identify what falls under lawful but not helpful or lawful but not edifying. Thankfully, to assist, we have the Holy Spirit, our Helper (John 15:16). We can make more informed choices on the grey areas, as we encounter them, with wisdom and discernment from the Spirit. “If we walk by the Spirit, we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). When we are in alignment with the Spirit, the things of the flesh will become less appealing.

Additionally, we can seek godly counsel from people with a similar mindset of pursuing holiness and godliness, to discuss and ask further questions. An outside perspective is useful for challenging our worldview. We should also take time to discover the motives behind the choice we are making.

Do we have the right mindset?

For a few, tackling the grey areas in our faith may come with a logical strategy. Whereas some of us struggle to make distinctions on what is categorised as a grey area. That is perfectly normal for the Christian. We are working out our salvation while God is working in us (Phil 2:12). In their best interest, advice can be given which may seem appropriate and could be well-intentioned but how do we ensure it is right for us? Generally, if we think it is wrong, we should avoid it. Until the time we are confident as to our resolve whether in favour or against it. Paul echos this sentiment when he writes to the church in Romans:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin

Romans 14:23

If there is even an inkling of doubt that this could be wrong but we proceed anyway, it is sin. We can decide for ourselves with careful guidance through the Word and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Overall, we should be more open to interrogating our choices and understand that the conviction will come from within. We should never pass judgement on another if they do not have the same convictions as us. We are not the standard, Christ is. 

At the end of the day, we are seeking His Kingdom above all else. Whatever we do, [whether we choose to watch the show, drink the alcohol or attend the event], we must decide if we are doing it for the glory of God or self.

How Do You Support Your Suffering Neighbour?

Chinedu Agwu
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How Do You Support Your Suffering Neighbour?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God – 2 Corinthian 1:3-5

In this life, we can go through different seasons. Whilst one individual is in the summer season, another individual could be going through the bleak mid-winter. Sometimes we know when an individual is suffering or in pain maybe because they told or it was announced by someone else, whilst a lot of the time we may not even know someone is suffering at all. So the question is, how can we better support our suffering neighbour?

Who is your neighbour?

First, who is our neighbour? Our neighbour is anyone who is not you, your family, your friends or those in close proximity to you. This article leans towards the theme of collective responsibility where as the body of Christ we carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). In the passage in Romans 12:15, Paul highlights the importance of us sharing in one another’s emotions and seasons rather than living an “isolated life”, which sadly is what this world promotes.

Why do suffering neighbours go unseen?

Now we may know who our neighbours are and that we should look out for other people, but what if we don’t know they are suffering? We live in a culture where when you ask, “how are you?” people often say, “I’m fine”, which may be genuine, but it can also just be a rehearsed response when we don’t want to open up. Unless people are visibly bleeding, we may not think they are in need of support. Some people to keep an eye on in our church and community in general include but are not limited to:

  • The sick
  • The poor
  • Widows
  • Single parents
  • Orphans
  • People in other countries experiencing war, pandemic or poverty  

These individuals may be highlighted to you through family, the church, or friends but for some of these individuals, it will take observation and discernment to identify them.

There are many things we can do to support our neighbours who are suffering, and with prayer and an obedient heart, God will reveal how you can best support them in a way that is unique to you and them.

Action points

  • Pray for other people (in-person or in private)
  • Volunteering schemes e.g., care homes, the homeless, safe families charity, Samaritans, youth clubs etc
  • Check-in on people
  • Offer your service: car lifts, cooking, mowing the garden
  • Fundraise for someone in financially difficulty (with their permission)
  • Donating money/resources
  • Opening your house to refugees

This life on earth can be challenging and lonely at times. As the body of Christ let us be salt and light (Matt 5:13, Matt 5:16), let our presence be felt by all. We never know when we too will need support, so let us learn to comfort others with the comfort we receive ourselves from God.

Even When All Seems Still, God Is Working

Chude Obuaya
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Even When All Seems Still, God Is Working

Waiting on God can be difficult. In a world where desires can be attained almost instantly, the idea of waiting can appear archaic. Yet, in the scriptures, the command to wait on the Lord can be seen repeatedly. Coupled with the command to wait on God is the implicit command to also trust in Him. The difficulty to wait arises when the situation that you are in doesn’t appear to be getting better, in fact, it gets worse. How do you respond? Do you attempt to take hold of the situation, or do you believe that God is at work even when all seems still?

Oh, Ye Of Little Faith


Imagine going to the GP several times with an illness. Each time you go you mention the various symptoms that you display. Your doctor receives this information and instead of delivering a diagnosis that considers all the symptoms, they only focus on one. Would you expect to recover? This is how we can often approach the sin of impatience. When we decide that waiting on God is no longer worth it, we try to co-opt God’s plan and implement our own. This plan ultimately fails, and we are back to square one. If we have enough self-awareness, we realise that the reason we struggle to wait on God is that we are impatient. But is that a diagnosis that considers all the symptoms? What if our ultimate problem isn’t impatience, but unbelief? What if the reason why we don’t wait on God’s timing is that we don’t believe that God will come through on His promises (Numbers 23:19). And perhaps we don’t believe that God will come through on His promises because we don’t believe what the bible says about God’s character (Isaiah 25:1, 2 Timothy 2:13, Lamentations 3:23, Exodus 34:6-7). You see, impatience isn’t our biggest problem. It’s a symptom of a larger issue, we simply don’t believe God.

Help My Unbelief


If unbelief is the root of our impatience then the antidote is remembrance. When unbelief seeks to rear its ugly head in the form of impatience, we need to remember God’s past faithfulness. Remembering God’s past faithfulness will be the anchor to your boat when the storms of your situation seek to derail. In Psalm 103, this hymn of praise begins like this “My soul, bless the LORD,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. My soul, bless the LORD, and do not forget all his benefits”. This psalm then speaks to the ways in which God keeps his people both individually and communally. The Israelites often forgot about God’s faithfulness during the wilderness, and this psalm is a reminder of how God dealt with them – with lovingkindness and mercy (Psalm 103:8). We can sometimes feel like the Israelites. Did God bring us out of bondage with signs and wonders, just to abandon us in the wilderness? Look back over your life, has God ever let you down? When God seems as silent as the gap between Malachi and Matthew, we can often forget God’s track record. But remember, silence doesn’t mean inactivity. God makes all things beautiful in His time, not yours (Ecclesiastes 3:11). When your faith is low, you can cry out like the father of the son with an unclean spirit “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23). God will respond with stand still and see how I save you (Exodus 14-13-14).

The Remedy For Anxiety

Tobi Oludipe
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The Remedy For Anxiety
Prefer to listen? Listen here!

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, also believe in me. – John 14:1

The problem of anxiety

The topic of anxiety has unfortunately become such a huge issue in our generation. Many find themselves the victims of anxiety to varying degrees. God in his infinite wisdom knew that there is no human that is immune to some sort of anxiety, in fact, the words anxious/ anxiety are mentioned numerous times in the Bible (Phil 4:6, Isaiah 41:10, John 14:1, Matt 6:25-34). 

I used to be a very anxious person so much, and I didn’t even like going to church. I would have to remind myself that I was there for God to get myself out of the door and rush home once the Pastor had uttered his last word. I have found the Word of God to be such a beautiful remedy when things are overwhelming. God doesn’t want us to feel anxious. Anxiety is not from Him and He constantly tells us to cast this burden on Him. 

For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind.

Timothy 1:7

In this article, I want to share the remedy for anxiety from a spiritual lens. It is also useful to add that, anxiety is not always spiritual, sometimes it is what we are eating, a hormonal imbalance, too much time on social media etc.

Rest

Our fear of what life will bring can lead us into a state of anxiety. Healthline defines anxiety as “a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come.” We worry about success, marriage, family and so much more but in the midst of hustle culture I put forward the idea of rest.  One of my favourite analogies for life is that the Holy Spirit is like a GPS so whenever you take a wrong turn, the Holy Spirit will re-route you to your destination (God’s will for your life). Terms and conditions apply though, you can’t turn off the phone and still expect to get to the right destination, the same way you can not turn away from the voice of the Holy Spirit and still hope to make it to God’s will. You are God’s child and His beloved child at that, access the free gift of rest God has made available to you. 

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. 

Luke 12:7

Rest in God, don’t feel like you have to control everything instead surrender your life to God and let Him have His way. So if God has clothed the meadow with hay, which is here for such a short time and then dried up and burned, won’t he provide for you the clothes you need—you of little faith? (Matt 6:28-31) 

If you are going to pray don’t worry, if you are going to worry don’t pray. Learn how to rest in God. 

Worship

In the words of Pastor Mike Todd – Worship is our weapon. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4) Sometimes we have to let the mountain of anxiety know exactly who our God is. When it comes to anxiety it is time to fix your eyes on Jesus and let worship be our weapon. Taking your eyes off your problems and putting them on God allows you to acknowledge that you are not strong enough to handle your problems by yourself. You have someone so much stronger behind you to hold you up! Lean into that!

“What you seek is what you find” – HB Charles. Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things will be added on to you (Matthew 6:33) and that includes peace of mind. H.B Charles eloquently said, “Don’t let legitimate concern, turn to sinful anxiety which then turns to you neglecting God.” Seek God ultimately and practically, let Him take His rightful place as God and the idol of fear and worry will fade away.

To conclude, I put forward two antidotes. Rest and Worship. Let God be God and Let God Be First.

Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on God

Emmanuel Oganla
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Five Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up on God
Prefer to listen? Listen here!

Life with God comes with challenges or ‘fiery trials.’ The biblical authors don’t just tell us about these challenges, they also admonish us to not let them surprise us (1 Peter 4:12). Even with admonitions like this, it feels strange when we go through them. When life grapples us, the temptation to submit to the challenges and give up on God seems very appealing. My prayer is that as you read this article, you’ll find reasons to hold on and not give up on God.

1. God has already provided the solution to your suffering

The universal reason for man’s suffering is sin. Man’s fall begot human suffering; however, man’s fall did not surprise God. He provided the solution before man could fall as John tells us, “All who dwell on the earth will worship Him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8) This verse indicates that the Lamb (Jesus) was slain before the world began and we know that Christ’s sacrifice is the solution for man’s sin. The Cross is God’s victory over sin, it also preceded it. God is not confined to time therefore He has solutions prepared for the challenges we are yet to go through. This perspective helps you to be more focused on how the trial is serving to make rather than break you. We will explore this through the rest of the article.

2. God is sovereign to work the challenges out for your good

You must ask yourself two questions, do I love God? And am I called according to His purpose? If both answers are yes, then Paul encourages you, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). God disarmed powers and authorities and put them to an open shame by His triumphing over them through the Cross (Colossians 2:15), Paul also infers that the powers wouldn’t have crucified him if they knew any better (1 Corinthians 2:8). God used Jesus’ challenges to fulfil His purpose and He will do the same for you. Trust Him.

3. God is using your challenges to refine your character

James urges believers to see trials as something to be joyful about because they are our pathway to maturity and completion in character. He says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2). This shift in mindset is a gamechanger because rather than seeing challenges as opportunities to quit, you see them as opportunities to grow in maturity and be complete.

4. Giving up on God is giving up on the true essence of life

To give on God is to give up on the essence of your being. Paul states, “In Him, we live, we breathe and have our being” (Acts 17:28). In John 6:53 prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection, crowds would often follow Him because of the miracles He performed. On this occasion, they were hungry and He multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed them. He knew their impure motives for following Him and He used the sign to teach them the true essence of communion by stating, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.’” Jesus is essentially saying there is no life apart from communion with Him. This was hard for many in the crowd to hear and so they began to depart from Him. Peter understanding Jesus’ words responded, “…Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). This was in response to Jesus asking if the twelve disciples would also depart. Peter knew departing from Jesus is departing from the source of life.

5. Lives are connected to your endurance

We look at Job, Abraham, David, the Apostles and ultimately Jesus as reasons why God isn’t worth giving up on. There are people who will find strength for their endurance by looking at yours. You can probably think of family members and friends who have been emblems of faith and endurance in God through difficulty. By not giving up you can be the same emblem of hope for others.

Who is Persuading You?

Chinedu Agwu
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Who is Persuading You?

True friendship is beautiful. The types of friendships we choose can feed into our character, aid us with our purpose and so much more. Instead of denying the power of friendship and its ability to shape our lives, we need to be aware of it. This article will explore how the people closest to us have a tremendous impact on our lives, both good and bad.

Our Chosen family

Honestly, a good friendship is a gift from God and another reminder that we were not made to live this life alone in isolation, we are called to spur one another onto love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). Where possible we should encourage and counsel one another and help each other to walk in obedience (1 Thessalonians 5:11; proverbs 15:22).

Biblical examples.

  • Daniel and his Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1, 3 and 6).
    • Daniel and his friends were known for “setting themselves apart” and not conforming. From their diet, to who they worshipped and when they prayed. They held each other accountable and sharpened one another.
  • David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18: 1-5).
    • Jonathan loved David as he loved his soul. Pause. Read that again. Is that kind of love possible?! In this passage Jonathan gave David his royal robe, armour, and sword for battle. Jonathan’s love for David was not envious or self-seeking, like that of Corinthians 13.
    • The love and loyalty shown by Jonathan to David was reaped by Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9), the fruit of a friendship can pour into the next generation.
  • Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1)
    • Whilst Ruth started off as Naomi’s daughter-in-law connected initially by marriage only, Ruth choosing to follow Naomi to Bethlehem showed sisterhood and friendship. Naomi had become Ruth’s “chosen family”.
    • “For wherever you go, I will go” Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth is what we’d call “a ride or die” or a “a keeper”. There will be some friends who do depart along your journey after serving their time like Orpah, but there will be some who will journey with you into your next season like Ruth. It is important to discern the two.

Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future

Now above are some enriching and fruitful friendships, which hopefully are all able to experience during our lifetime. However, there are two sides to the friendship spectrum, there are some friendships and some company we keep that can corrupt our character and negatively influence our behaviour.

Biblical examples.

  • Samson and Delilah (Judges 16).
    • Whilst Delilah was not Samson’s friend, she was in his company and had a significant influence on him. So much so he lost his life and did not fulfil His God given purpose.
  • Haman’s and King Xerxes (Esther 3).
    • Haman was a chief advisor to the King, his role was to provide sound advice to the king, instead he allowed the power of his new role to get to his head and created a decree for the Israelites to be killed!
    • The King did not originally have these intentions but appointed someone who did, we must pray to have spiritual vision and ask God to expose desires/motives in people that are not clear to the natural eye.
  • King Solomon and foreign women (1 Kings 11:1-2).
    • Again, these foreign women that King Solomon spent time with were not his friends, but they were in his company and corrupted his character. Corrupted his vision and in the end in his life.
    • His heart turned from the Lord, and he committed sin the sight of the Lord serving other gods.
    • As a result, God said He would tear the Kingdom away from Him BUT not in his lifetime but rather his son’s, so his son would not inherit what was rightfully his. He instead would reap the repercussions of his father’s disobedience.

I think it has become pretty clear that we need to choose our company wisely. Whilst we can be “friendly” with everyone, not everyone should have the title of friend or should be able to speak into your life. We need people to uplift and empower us along our journey and not those who will distract and derail us.

Book recommendations

  • Relational intelligence by Dharius Daniels
  • Friends-ish – Kelly Needham

Shameless Christianity

Chinedu Agwu
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Shameless Christianity
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes- Romans 1:16

The Gospel is the good news of Jesus – His death and resurrection, and why this was necessary. The Gospel, to us as Christians is our anchor and a constant reminder of who we used to be, where we used to be…. but for the grace of God through His precious son Jesus. When you think of sharing the Gospel, are you ashamed of it? Is it news you would rather keep to yourself? Before Jesus ascended, He commissioned us to spread the Gospel otherwise how else will people hear about Him and be transformed by His love?

Set Apart

In your workplace, schools, and in non-Christian communities do you find yourself withholding information about your faith or speaking openly about your faith? Where possible we want our speech to be seasoned with salt and bring life to people’s situations, the Gospel does that (Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 18:21). In other words, wherever you find yourself you can be a missionary and allow God to use you as a vessel to reveal Himself to people. When asked, “what do you believe in?” do you hesitate, give a vague answer or boldly confess your Christian faith? Do you find yourself compromising/conforming to fit into a certain environment? These are questions we must all ask ourselves on our journey of faith, depending on our upbringing and exposure to evangelism our answers will be different. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can ALL be empowered to share our faith in our own authentic way.  

So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God

2 Timothy 1:8

Hold Up the Mantle of Faith

Be encouraged, you are not alone. Remember you are part of the body of Christ where you can grow in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God through fellowship and discipleship. You can exchange personal experiences with your brothers and sisters in Christ about evangelism, pray and encourage one another. I remember a really great mission statement from Audacious Church YA group and it was “Faith over fear. Honesty over image. Love over entertainment” which captured the fact that as God’s children we have been called out for a specific purpose. Set apart. Holy. We live in a society working hard to make us forget this truth, but we must never forget WHO we are, WHOSE we are and WHY we are on this earth. 

Tips on how to overcome the fear and evangelise more:

  • Know the Gospel
  • Reflect on why Jesus is important to you personally
  • Share your faith with family and close friends
  • Share on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
  • Join your church evangelism team from time to time
  • Go on a mission trip in another city/country
  • Listen to testimonies of people who recently converted to Christianity to encourage you!

Whilst on this journey of being bold in sharing the Gospel, be patient and gracious towards yourself as even the disciples of Jesus themselves made mistakes. Had doubt and fear. Yet Jesus still chose them. Used them. Empowered them to fulfil their mission on earth. “For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”- 1 Corinthians 1:18.

If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels

Mark 8:38

Friends, remember you are salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), not made to conform to the patterns of this earthly world (Romans 12:2). I encourage you to be a thermostat and set the culture, usher in Kingdom values, and share the gospel. The gospel is lifesaving and was not meant for one but for all.

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