IT IS NOT NORMAL: DO NOT TAKE RESISTANCE AS CIRCUMSTANCE
I pastor young people in a very unique setting. Let me explain- the average young person in the town is either a student, a corp member, an indigene looking for greener pastures or a worker seeking to be transferred to the city. Some folks would leave their families in cities while they work in our community. They often travel to their families.
The students would be in town for about two years, and they move on. The corp member is in town for about eleven months. The young indigene moves once there is hope for a job in the cities. The worker in town is highly mobile.
When most of them are transitioning to cities, they have glowing words of how they would miss church, but that was the end. If you visit the church, you will never meet the same set of people every year.
I settled for the advantage in it that we began to say, “We are a church of people in transition.” We would grow to sixty and then shrink to 25 when people move. It was just like that. We built our systems and structures around that circumstance.
I heard a father in the faith say, “Do not settle for resistance thinking it is circumstance. Break that pattern.” A new vision was birthed. I dug into the Word of God and saw that crowds were always there, even when Jesus was in remote places. That was our change. The image we had changed. We prayed and began to work towards it. In a matter of six weeks, we doubled in number.
Today, we have in attendance what we sometimes have in special meetings. People travel from two neighbouring towns (some about an hour away) to attend services. We have brilliant minds working in the ministry also today. I mean brilliant minds.
As a believer, there are things you must never explain away. It had become the norm to sell stuff in the temple. The table for money changers was also there. Everyone accepted it as a norm except Jesus. He came in and turned the whole place upside down.
And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
Matthew 21:13 NKJV
He drove all those who were merchandising. Only then did those who needed healing come in, the blind and the lame. Afterwards, people marvelled at the wonders that were happening.
You cannot bring anything extraordinary out of a situation you have accepted as the norm. If you think it is normal, you will be an ally. But once you see it as resistance, you fight back.
What is in your life, marriage and ministry that you have accepted as the norm? Could it be that it is a veil so that you would not be able to resist it? What will happen if you wake up today and fight back?
Do not accept resistance as a circumstance. Fight back!
temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa.