I ran into a dear brother in church who commented on one of my Facebook post about a frustrating experience I had with the embassy of my beloved country and my bank. We sat down and voiced out to each other our observations and concerns about our homeland. While we acknowledged   that every nation has their challenges, we tried to make sense as to how things declined to a point of international reproach, considering how ‘prayerful’ our country is. We agreed that as a nation known for having constant all night prayers, organizing the largest Christian gatherings like revivals, conventions and concerts, and having the highest number of churches, all that should at least mirror in the society and assist in curbing the growing level of corruption in our nation. We ended the discussion by saying there is need for us Christians to support churches and encourage other Christians to go back to the basics by submitting to God and all His commandments and champion the theme on necessity for change. Only then can we resist the devil and make a difference.

It’s ludicrous to say Christians can have no influence in society. Christian faith is the most powerful moral lever that has ever been applied to the affairs of men. It has helped shape politics and civilization by emphasizing on the Bible’s teaching which affects the equality of all men. These teachings gave us laws that protected the common man, which has helped shaped our society until men began to distort truth by introducing selfish methods into God’s original model.

When the church is assimilated by the culture in which it finds itself, it loses its cutting edge.

In a society where materialism reigns supreme, the church will be in danger of raising Christians who will go to any length to gain material things irrespective of biblical injunctions on how they should go about it. This is truly manifesting in the face of long standing ignorance or adamant denial of the truth that materialism and competition, all in the name of “excellence” has replaced love, unity and other values upon which Christianity is built.

The devil doesn’t fear a big church. He fears a united church.

As a church, we all seem to have separate visions even though some of the visions and programs seem to have people focused on making it into the Guinness book of records instead of helping people make it into heaven. It is time we truly go back to basics. It is time churches stop preaching churches, and desist from cannibalizing other churches to gain members. It is time we Christians let non-Christians see our faith in our attitudes, decision making on our jobs and in our offices, and not only on our lips, car stickers, nice clothes, houses, ‘successful’ sold out programs, excellent protocols and mega structures.

Christian faith is about the sheep and not the Shepard.

Depending on who is teaching or leading, Christianity can be revolutionary or oppressive. That is why the ‘word’ and ‘excellence’ influence has, sometimes, been used to satisfy a self-centered thirst for power, glory and authority, forgetting that the command given by Jesus Christ is to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Truly, difficult people may come in different shapes and sizes in the church. We can handle them in godly ways so they will not shut out the grace & mercy of God available for them and, hopefully, one day become advocates of love and peace.

“We have been called to be a shinning light and not a shocking light” – Dr David Anderson

It is true that we have been called into liberty, but liberty should not be used as an excuse to break any biblical principle, put yourself in bondage, raise arguments in the church, harm the reputation of the gospel, or destroy another person’s walk with God. Let us encourage our ministers to be pastors and not performers, and other Christians to become the light of the world and salt of the earth. You can make a difference. Start now.