But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins 1 Peter 4:5-8

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 peter 4:11

In my line of work, I meet various kinds of people with different beliefs. Some have defined perspectives on God and others have questions. Yet still others have assumptions of how religion should work and others are afraid to admit that there’s a higher power bigger than them. Our societies have defined what’s “right” for us, so much that we are blinded by it’s lies. Before we were born, and before our society came to have intellectual ideas and new toys to play with, God already existed. How then should God evolve with the dynamics of the society, when he had already  established rules of our society? 

For example, I had an encounter with a man yesterday and we got talking. I asked him if he was a Christian and he said ‘I am not interested in religion’. Why? I asked ‘Because religion does not accept people for who they are’. What do you mean? ‘Well I am a member of the gay society and other gender related organizations, but there are people who do not advocate for these movements’. What does that have to do with God and the Bible? ‘Religion has not moved at all and the society has changed’. Do you think something written over thousands of years ago should change because we as humans have defined what we think is right for us? ‘I think the society is changing and religion too has to accept people the way they are.’ You know that the things we belief in today are not new. ‘Yes i know, but things have to change.’ So do you mean we should tell God what is right for us? 

Our conversation was cut short when some people needed my attention. Somehow the questions kept coming out of me, and we didn’t feel awkward or judgmental at all. As he had his coffee and we chatted, a sad feeling came over me. I kept going over the part where ‘RELIGION HAS NOT CAUGHT UP WITH SOCIETY’. I was also taken back to my RET 321 course  at Daystar University, where we were talking about Culture and the Bible. Should culture be above the Bible or should the Bible be above culture? Who do we report to? Do we report to the teachings of God or the teachings of our society? If you shy away from God because he will tell you what you don’t want to hear, how will you know what he wanted to tell you to decide if that was what you had expected him to tell you? So many times we have preconceived ideas of what we think someone is thinking till you actually listen to them to understand that you had a poor imagination.

I simply told the man that God wants to know him and wants to have a relationship with him. When he has met God and knows what God wants from him, then both of them can decide how to move on together. Just because the society has allow you to go a certain way and others have shun you, it does not mean God has abandon you. You meet him and if you still think God should change his views, then that will be up to you after meeting him and talking to him. God love you and simply wants you to get to know him without thinking he is religious. 

I asked  two other guys if they went to church and one said, I am an atheist. I don’t believe in anything. I have to see to believe. Religion is not for me. The other man said, I have done too many bad things in my life and see no return. I felt like cracking their heads and shoving down John 3:16 and all the Bible passages to do with God’s forgiveness and wisdom. But that would not have glorified God, So I just smiled and said ‘you have no idea’. I still invited them to our church. Sometimes some show up and sometimes they don’t. 

I have many more examples, but in relation to the verses above, should we abandon these people who are lost or don’t think they are lost? Should we judge them and think them helpless? Peter suggest two things to us. In as much as these things are hard to accept, we need to remember that ‘The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.’ vs 7. When speaking to these people, we should be clear minded and self-controlled. When we are settled, the Holy Spirit will lead us with the right words. We shall speak as if God is the one speaking those words. vs 11. We also need to have a clear mind, so we are able to pray, especially when we do not know what to do. The second thing is that we should ‘above all love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins’. vs 8. In churches we shun people who have gone astray and condemn them rather than helping them get back on the right path. We gossip behind their backs and snicker when when they walk pass us, so that they feel unloved and unwanted. To us, we are telling them ‘How could you do such a thing? If it was me, I would not have gone that far. What were you thinking? Stay away from me and my family. You are a bad influence’. Our attitudes towards them, heap up enough sins on our part. When we show love and concern from our hearts, we cover up those multitudes of sins that would arise if we deny them forgiveness. 

Think about what has been said above, and I will leave you with this quote by Gerald Way 

“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching”