We reflect on God’s love this week and what it means to be a true Christian follower from the mind of a student.

Christ’s Follower or Just Another Christian?

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel.”
~ Pope Francis

The Christian life demands change which may be hard because it aims to soften the hearts. One of the toughest realities of life is to accept that we are fallen. The great tragedy arises out of the modern age of hedonism or the age of self-sedation. The modern man is so busy seeking pleasures of self only to have forgotten to take a moment to look back and realize the reasons for which those moments are found to be enjoyed. We often try to escape from failures, trials, sufferings, pains, sorrows. A Christian who thinks he can be a saint without suffering in this world is mistaken. C. S. Lewis, the former atheist once remarked, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity”. Christianity does not exist to make us happy, but it does exist to make us joyful. A true, devoted Christian seeks Christ from the heart, not from the head. The heart has a certain primacy over the head; for God judges not the head but the hearts. A true Christian is not the strong and who have it all but those who admit they are weak and in need of a Savior.

Our prosperity and success are guaranteed only when we keep the Book of Law on our lips; meditate on it and carefully do everything written in it. The law of the Lord is perfect, the statutes trustworthy, the precepts right, the commands radiant, and the decrees firm. By them, we are warned and in keeping them there is a greater reward. The Book of Law is everything, an answer to every questions, confusions and curiosities. It is the only compass that points us to the right direction.

When we look at the world today, Christ has become just another figure of history. The Church has become a place for competition. People go to Church as though their attendance would save them from their sins or prove them to be a true Christian. After the Church service is done, they are still bound to hatred, jealousy, ignorance, greed, selfishness, envy, pride, etc., we are told to love everyone, even our enemies. We are to bless those that persecute us and not curse; to feed our hungry enemy and to give a drink to our thirsty hater. Since childhood, we sang out loud at the top of our lungs at home, worship places, and still neglect the very lyrics of it to seek God first and His righteousness above everything else. We are children of one father that is in heaven. With His breath were all the living creatures created and everything that is marvellous, wonderful, glorious, magnificent.

We are on a mission to fulfil the purpose God has sent us into this world. We are called to be the Christ’s ambassadors and to reflect God in everything we do. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their own soul? The first would be the last and the last first in God’s kingdom. When churches desperately try to reinvent themselves to appeal to what people want, as so many are doing today, they abandon what’s relevant to God. True Christianity is about changing to find our relevance in God; not God finding His relevance in us. “Not everyone who says to Me. ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but He who does the will of My Father in Heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

God hates the lukewarm who wishes to secure both worlds, one foot in Heaven and one foot in the pleasures of this life. Mankind have become a slave to the worldly pleasures and forgotten of their real self and their purpose and mission. Gandhi was shrewd enough to tell missionaries “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ”. Christians need to look beyond and think beyond their understanding of who they are. We are all fearfully and wonderfully created in God’s image. Our body is the temple of the Lord. Living an easy, pleasure-filled life is not a freedom for Christians. We are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our mind. We need to be like Christ, imitate to be like Him, have a mind like Him.

God never intended us to get too comfortable in this life. It’s not easy, and nothing worthwhile ever is. Bible says, a broad road leads to destruction, narrow road leads to eternal peace. If one is a slave to his passions and desires, one cannot feel the pure joy of real freedom. Stand up for God; let the world go. From the dust we rose and unto dust we shall return. God had already written our destiny so why do we worry in seeking things rather than God. We are just another animal who knows nothing of what will happen next so why do we waste time worrying for the future. Man is a fool to forsake God’s ways in persuasion of his chains. “I would rather be unknown here and have my name up there”-Jim Caviezel. Only the Holy Spirit could lead us into the truth and open up our eyes. There is a cure and solution for everything and the cure is Christ. Let us be a better human, a true Christian and live in a way God wants us and not how we want to. Purity, patience and perseverance are the three essentials to success and above all is love, and God is love.

Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Tatongkala Pongen, Aniruddha, Meren and Kvulo Lorin.
For feedback or comments please email:  dot@tetsocollege.org