LEST I STRAY. I woke up one fateful morn, feeling d whole world was on me. I felt pressure from everyside. I had been job-hunting for yrs, and my parents did nothing to help my plight. Instead, they were pain in the neck. They were bent in marrying me off to any Tom, Dick or Harry, who had a fat purse. They were convinced that marriage to a wealthy husband was d solution to our financial difficulties. To add to the list, I woke up with pain in the rib that morn. What could be worse? I mused. I remained in bed, wondering why all these were happening to me. Just then my phone rang. I wasnt eager to pick the call, but I did anyway. The news I heard caused a hot wave of excitement in me. I had just been invited for an interview in one of the oil companies around. I momentarily forgot d pain in my rib. I quickly dropped on my knees and prayed frantically to God. Oh Lord, let this one be mine. As soon as the sole of my foot step on... Christine! Christine! mother interrupted my prayer. She wanted me to know that I will be hosting a visitor in the even. Of course, I knew it was going to be male visitor, having mentioned that she wanted me to look presentable. From time to time, my parents would invite all kinds of people to the house for lunch or dinner; they would insist I do the cooking and then shower me with a lot of compliments in the presence of the guests. I had tried to make them understand that I would rather remain unmarried than marry outside Gods will for my life. I of all people understand d consequences of unequal yoke, especially in marriage. Although I had been accused of being a narrow-minded fanatic, I had held my ground by the grace of God. I knew there was going to be a showdown that even, so I committed it to God in prayer. Around 7:30pm, after dinner, we were all seated with d guest in the living room, having small talks when my parents disappeared, leaving me alone with the visitor. I used the opportunity to preach my heart out, emphasizing on Holiness, hell and heaven and a deeper relationship with God. By the time I finished, d visitor wouldnt allow me see him to the door. My parents were puzzled; they wondered why he left abruptly, without saying goodbye. My mother gave me an unpleasant look and went to her room. I was not bothered about it; I had an interview to prepare for. I didnt tell my parents about it bcos I didnt want to raise their hopes. The next day, I was at the company as early as 7:00 a.m. I was so exited! Something told me I was going to get the job. After waiting for three hours, the interview began. It was a rather strange interview. I introduced myself and talked about how the company would find me very useful. We know about all that. We know ur qualified for ds job said the chairman of the panel. bcos a reputable someone recommended u. I wondered who that person must be. He continued that we have a situation of ur age at our hand right now. Its our policy to employ people within the age bracket of 20-25 yrs old. Noticing the shock on my face, he quickly added, It’s no big deal! swear an affidavit, reduce ur age, and no one will raise an eyebrow I suddenly felt very weak. I got up slowly, cleared my throat and said I know someone who will raise an eyebrow who? Inquired two members of the panel, as if on cue. My God will. He’ll be very displeased with me, and I cant afford His displeasure! They were all shocked by my words! And in apparent reaction, one of them retorted, were all Christians too, young lady. We just want u to have the job, hello! I left there with a broken heart. The tears came unbidden, and this attracted curious stares from passers by. The panel of interviewers had said the job was all mine, but with the condition that I submit an affidavit of my altered age on Monday morn. They even offered me a mouth – watering pay package if I fulfilled the condition. I was grateful to the Lord when He saved me from the wretchedness of sin five yrs ago. I joined a bible-believing church, where I had since been taught to jealously guard my Christian experience. Now, should I throw away my salvation bcos of petty job and pay package that has no eternal value and significance? But why can’t I get a decent job? God saw me through school, and I never had to cheat or bribe anybody, even though that was the order of the day back then. How is it that those who cheated and bribed their way through school were the ones with great jobs, and people like me who studied hard, relying on God don’t have any job to boast of. On and on, the thoughts kept coming. I dreaded the thought of going home. I decided to walk so that I could pull myself together before facing my parents. Of course I wasn’t planning to tell them what had transpired; I just needed some time alone. As I trudged along the bumpy road, the words of those interviewers kept ringing in my head, “it’s no big deal…. We’re all Christians too… we’re not asking u to tell a lie… It’s a mouth-watering package any one would kill for. Unconsciously, I started reassessing the situation, “Since they are the ones asking for it, why can’t I do it? After all, they know my real age” I was beginning to brighten up with this idea when I heard someone singing an old hymn across the street. The lyrics made me stop on my track I just stood there listening, “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin. Each victory will help you some others to win. Fight manfully onward, dark passions, look ever to Jesus he’ll carry you through.” The tears came back again. I could hear God warning me through the song. I was already going astray in my thoughts. Right there by the road side, I asked the Lord to forgive me. I said to Him, “If you don’t give me the job it means I don’t need it” Then I squared my shoulders and headed home. You might be reading this right now and find urself relating to my story. Ur situation may even be worse than mine. I tell u this: there will never be a good reason to turn back on the Lord. Tell me! What knowledge could be more nourishing than the fact that “there is ….no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…? (Romans 8:1) U should see how I felt when I asked d Lord to forgive me. My tears of guilt turned into those of gratitude. I could then understand why Paul the Apostle was convinced that nothing can separate the believer from the love of Christ.(Rom 8:35-38). What is separating u from d love of Christ? Is it ur business, spouse, domestic chores, academics pursuit, marriage? None of these things can compare to that divine love. I didn’t get the job that day, but I could feel the peace of God in my heart. The devil kept reminding me of all the things I needed to do with money. Knowing how easy it was to go astray. I kept singing the song, “hold my hand least I lose my way. Hold my hand and lead me on. Guide each step that I might take. Hold my hand and lead m on.” Two weeks later after the interview, I started attending a school for fashion designing. The owner of the school had offered to train me for free, with the condition that I would serve her for two yrs after my graduation. I felt I had no option. I needed to do something. Ignoring my parent’s criticism, I took the offer and encouraged myself with the thought that I would in the future have my own fashion design outfit. On the seventh of resumption, an anonymous caller rang me. He wanted to know if I was the same person that attended the interview at Life’s Oil Company. I answered in the affirmative and was asked to report the same company the following day. On getting there, I met a man, whom I recognized as a member of the panel that had interviewed me some weeks back. What he said to me startled me! He told me he had been a free thinker and never believed in God or religion. He confessed that he was, however, challenged by the way I held on to my belief and rejected the big pay package they offered me. According to him, he couldn’t comprehend such devotion and sense of integrity ; hence, he decided to invite me over to tell him more about my faith. That day, I preached with so much joy in my heart. I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking through me. When I finished, the man was very sober, and in his sobriety, he asked God to forgive his sinful lifestyle and unbelief. I wept as I prayed with him afterwards, bcos I had never seen the Holy Spirit at work in that manner. I went home with joy flooding my heart. Listen ! when you take ur stand as a Christian, the light of God shines through u and Jesus is lifted up. And when this happens, He says “… I will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Compromising ur stand, on the other hand, is a reproach to the name of the Lord. The man called me to resume work immediately. I was speechless! Apparently, he was the chairman of the company, though not the chairman of the interview panel. That same day, I was handed my employment letter, and the next day I resumed at the Corporate Affairs Office as the firm’s Customer Care Consultant. I was barely two wks old in the company when I was sent overseas for a three-month training course. The allowance from the programme was more than enough to pay the debts my parents owed. All these were too much for my unbelieving parents to grasp. They soon started following me church, and even bought their friends along. Today, they are both born-again and proclaiming the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some Christians stray from the Lord bcos of fortune, fame and friendship with d world. They get too busy to attend church services, and fraternize freely with unbelievers. The day will come when they will face the consequences of their actions. The Bible says, “be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Galatians6:-8) Lets have a roll call of Bible characters that went astray and the consequences of their actions. I begin with Dinah, Jacobs daughter. In her curiosity, she went about fraternizing with the people of Shechem, a neighboring nation, and was defiled in the process (Genesis 34:1-29). Lot, Abraham’s cousin, also strayed from the fellowship he had with his uncle, a friend of God, to Sodom and Gomorrah with all their lewd and lascivious practices. He lost his wife when God’s judgment came on the cities, and committed incest with his two daughters while fleeing from there.(Genesis 13 and 14). Also as a result of economic crunch in Israel, Naomi and her family strayed to Moab, an idolatrous nation, in search of greener pastures. She lost all she had, including her husband and two sons. (Ruth). Ahaziah strayed from the Lord as well, in time of sickness, and consulted baalzebub, the god of Ekron. He incurred God’s wrath and displeasure; he died of the ailment (2Kings1). The story of prodigal son in Lk 15 sums up the consequences o going astray from the way of the Lord. It always leads to limitation of one’s usefulness, lack of God’s presence and blessing, and loss of life and ministry eventually. Before condemning these personalities, hear what the scripture has to say to u as an individual, “… let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (ICor10:12). There is need for us to be watchful and have a close communion with God. If you have the privilege of interacting with Gideon, David, Solomon, Asa, Peter and Demas, they will all tell you that ur antecedents in the Christian race are not guarantees for continuous victory. Little wonder Peter charges believers in I Peter 4:7, to be “…sober, and watch unto prayer.” Let’s not be too busy to maintain a healthy relationship with God; otherwise, we will end up like Demas and Ahaziah did(God forbid). Also, avoid unequal yoke with unbelievers. Store up the Word of God in ur heart (Psalm119:11) and “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”. (Jude1:3)
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:25:16 +0000
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