My Brother, my sister, the Church is you and me. For a year now, the world has lived a chaotic season, but we know that our God is not moved by our shouts, our cries, our chaotic circumstances. He is moved with compassion when He sees us exercising our faith in the midst of adversity.
Today’s passage says: “4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Yes, what we individually plant is what God considers.
The current pandemic can cause many believers to become fearful or slack off in their faith while waiting for things to work out. That is certainly not a responsible Christian attitude! My friend, My friend, using the pandemic to justify your estrangement from the Church (assembly of saints) in one way or another is a way to “nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down” (Mark 7:13). Allow me to clarify this: you may be one of those who sing the Scriptures, proclaim God’s love and God’s protection all the time… but adversity has taken hold of you? Then you yourself have nullified the Word of God you claim to believe in!
Time has come for us to take our responsibilities as believers of Christ and remember that every difficult situation is a lesson. Instead of asking why is all this happening, ask yourself what can I do to be responsible before my father while all this is happening. If you don’t know what to do, allow me to remind you that God has never advocated fear and Jesus even said that “whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Losing your life for Christ does not mean standing before a truck to be killed, but sacrificing it for Christ sake, and that starts by not being scared by what we see, hear or experience but instead exercising our faith, for nobody can please God without faith. The adversity should therefore not stop you from evangelising by proclaiming the living Christ, attending church as Hebrews 10:25 says, giving to church, praising and worshipping God…
It’s simple: remember that in the past, in times of war for example, people actually took refuge IN THE TEMPLE/CHURCH (meeting in the house of God), and even the Bible tells us this in 2 Chronicles. 2: 5 and verses 14-18! In the face of adversity, they all waited for God in the Temple and there, He gave them victory! Today technology has distracted and side-tracked many believers who think that all they need to do is sit in the comfort of their home and proclaim that they have faith in God to have victory… Read the story of Hannah who left her house every day to go and cry to God in the Temple (1 Samuel 1:9-28)… No sacrifice, no faith in Christ: To follow Christ, everyone MUST give up something: “25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple”(Luke 14: 25-27).
My brother, my sister, let us be responsible children of God in this difficult time, so that our Father will know that He can count on us to bring His reign on earth, for we do not know if this time of difficulty is also a test of God of our faith as His Church. Be careful not to become cold, if you have already become lukewarm and be responsible for your own faith in God: “7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7)!
Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.