Like A B C…

Greatest Lies

One of the greatest lies the devil has planted in the world is…“walking with Jesus is hard.” This lie has taken on different attractive styles, and has won the attention of many. However, it is a lie. It doesn’t matter how well the devil is selling it or how much people are buying it, it is still a lie. Actually, a walk with Jesus is supposed to be enjoyable, joyfully, peaceful, pleasurable, exciting…just think of any positive adjective and add it to the list. Why? Well, it’s because this relationship is rooted in love, the greatest version of love there is. People need to understand this truth, because people need to understand that the best relationship in the world is the relationship we share with Jesus. This relationship isn’t hard. It is like A B C…

The Beginning of A B C…

Few days ago, I was at my older sister’s. From this older sister, I have a very pretty niece and two beautiful nephews. Trust me, seeing those kids is always one of the high points of my visits, when I visit. I believe it is the same for the kids, because they are always so excited to see me. So, back to few days ago at my sister’s. When I announced my presence, the youngest, who is less than two years, leaped from his older brother’s embrace and dashed into my arms. The arms he would refused to leave for anything or anyone else, until he falls asleep. This little man started school in January this year, and I am always so quick to find out how he is holding up with the tasks of the classroom. So, when he dashed into my arms, after I got the “miss yous” and “how are yous?” out of the way, like always, I asked, “How is school?” and his older siblings who were holding onto the remaining part of me that wasn’t already occupied by him said, “He can recite A B C now.” They said it almost at the same time. Obviously, that was the trending update in his “school life.” I was excited about the update, and of course, I was going to confirm myself. Immediately, I started reciting the letters of the English alphabet, and I called on my youngest nephew to join me, and he did. As my nephew recited after me, I beamed with joy. The letters of the English alphabets are monosyllabic, and while trying to repeat them after me, he didn’t get all the sounds correctly, but I could tell he was doing his best to say them correctly, and that was more than enough for him to earn three “high fives” from me, after letter Z. Why was I so excited? I was excited because that is the beginning of A B C for him. The beginning of so much more in speaking and writing the English language.

The Process

I believe that is where we all begin when we accept the offering of Jesus. Luke 15:7 tells us that at repentance, there is a party in heaven over a saved soul. This soul is just starting the journey and heaven is already so excited. There is so much more to learn. There’s so much more to become. My nephew can’t even say all the letters correctly yet, but I can hear the sounds he is making and they are so close to the right sounds, and that is enough. All we need do is to make sure we keep exposing him to these letters, and soon the right sounds will come. Thereafter, he’ll have to learn to write these letters, the upper case and the lower case. Then, he’ll move to making two letter words, and then three letters words, and then simple sentences, and then he’ll be introduced to simple reads with two and three letter words. Of course, you know it doesn’t end there. He’ll also learn to pronounce these simple English words correctly. Furthermore, he’ll be taught the meaning of these words, and just when he thinks he’s so good with the two and three letter words, he’ll be introduced to bigger words. Guess what? While going through this process, he’ll definitely make M I S T A K E S, PLENTY OF M I S T A K E S. Now, here is something that will be funny in this entire process: beating himself up for not knowing how to write three letters words, when he haven’t even learnt how to write the individual letters of the English alphabet correctly. What will you think of a teacher or a parent that shames a child that can’t write three letter words of English, when the child haven’t even learnt how to write the individual letters of the English alphabets?  Crazy? Wicked? Horrible? Insane, maybe? Now, you have to be very careful with the tag you give that teacher or parent, because most times, we do the exact same thing when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.

Jesus isn’t Crazy, Wicked, Horrible or Insane.

In our walk with Jesus, we beat ourselves up when we can’t do the things that look like forming three letters words, when we haven’t even mastered the things that are like pronouncing the individual letters of the English alphabets correctly. We think that Jesus is like that crazy, wicked, horrible, insane teacher or parent. So, instead of us to keep exposing ourselves to the process that will help us learn, we quit the process, and then we echo the lie of the devil, “This Jesus thing is hard.” No, it isn’t hard. You just keep quitting the process. You are seeing people that are doing the “big things” and you feel God is judging you based on that, and so instead of you to keep exposing yourself to the process, you quit. When you decide to start again, you again see that you aren’t doing the said “big things” and then you quit again. You should know, I am a human being and I am very excited at the stage my little nephew is now, so are his parents and siblings. We aren’t even judging him for not pronouncing the letters correctly. We are so cheering him on, because we know he won’t quit the process. We’ll keep exposing him to the letters of the English alphabet, and some day, he’ll pronounce them correctly. He won’t stop there. He’ll move to writing those letters, and then move to learning and forming words. He won’t start with big words though, he’ll start with two letters words, and then move to three, and four and five…and someday he’ll write and speak the English language correctly, even the big words won’t be an issue anymore.

Now, here is another thing that is very interesting about the English language, no matter how much you think you know about the language, you had better keep updating yourself, because the language is always updating itself, and it won’t stop. All the English language dictionaries that are currently in use will be updated, soon. So, the learning never stops. It is the same with our walk with Jesus, the learning and getting better never stops for any Christian, until we meet Jesus on the other side of eternity.

It is just like A B C…

Do not quit the process. Do not quit the process. Do not quit the process. Stay. Just stay. In Philippians 3:12, Paul says, “Not that I have attained this [ideal] or I am already perfect, but I press on…” (AMPC). Like Paul, press on. Keep exposing yourself to the presence of God. You’ll make mistakes. If there are erasers for A B C, God has got a better eraser. It is the blood of Jesus. Don’t let the devil deceive you. God isn’t mad at you. He created baby steps. Do not quit the process, because that is the key to becoming better. Our teacher, the Holy Spirit, is just like our heavenly Father, He is patient, kind and so loving. Just stay. Quitting isn’t the answer, no matter how many times you get it wrong. Do not let the devil or anybody bully you. Keep showing up. 2Corinthians 3:18 says, that as we keep beholding the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into His image, and that the transformation moves from glory to glory. The transformation continues as we keep beholding. Don’t stop beholding. Keep reading the Bible, even if you can’t read more than a verse a day. Keep saying the short prayer, because you don’t have to go for one hour, if you can’t. Keep showing up for the Christian meetings, no matter what other Christian thinks and say about you. Keep exposing yourself to the presence of God…because dearest one, you’ll learn to do better. It is just like A B C…

My prayer for you and me:

May we never quit the process, and may we not just endure the process. May we find Joy that is beyond all human understanding, as we stay in the process. May we see our lives move from one degree of glory to another, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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