If you are still standing on the sidelines and wondering why every now and then you see another seemingly intelligent friend or family member join the “born again movement”, let me talk to you today. You thought he or she was more intelligent than that, how could they join those strange acting people and subject themselves to”brainwashing”? Now your friend or family member is acting “fanatical” and they behave as if something very exciting is always happening in their lives. As if that was not enough, they are also paying tithes and giving all their money to the church or to that Pastor who you believe is the master brain washer. You have contemplated this whole situation and you have concluded that you will try and tolerate your friend if this makes them happy; different strokes for different folk! At least your friend seems to have suddenly found some type of peace after all the frustration they were previously experiencing in their life, you say to yourself. So when all is said and done, many have concluded that being born again is for frustrated people who had too many issues going on or possibly for weak people who cannot think for themselves and need a so called man or woman of God to control them and abuse their finances.
I would like to debunk that thinking by asking you to simply examine the facts around you. Born again believers are from all walks and social levels in life. Have you noticed that some of the born again believers you know may have been even more intelligent than you at school? While there are many struggling people who become born again, there are also many who are very successful in their careers, marriages and overall standing in life. Ask yourself what would make a very intelligent and career driven person suddenly profess their faith in Christ and submit under the authority of a Pastor who becomes a vehicle for the transformation of this person’s life? We have all seen too many powerful people including world leaders and famous people do this so there must be something to this. When it gets you, it is like a bug that you cannot shake off! It is a phenomenon that causes everyone around the newly born again person to be intrigued. The song says “There is something that makes me come into your presence my, helper”. Aaah … the Jesus Factor!
Consider these facts:
- Life is tough no matter who you are and trials and tragedy do not discriminate. We all need help at some point to navigate through life. If you disagree with this, you have not lived long enough, keep living!
- No matter how rich, intelligent or well connected you are, there are some problems you simply cannot solve.
- When sickness hits you, no matter how handsome or beautiful you are, it can reduce you to nothing.
- Ultimately, death will come knocking at everyone’s door and no human has the power to resist death.
Today I present to you the premise that those who chose to become born again and follow Jesus passionately have discovered a secret. They have understood that you can either battle your way through life with your limited human ability or you can be honest with yourself and accept that you need God to assist you. Many come to Jesus for this reason but let me indulge your mind for a minute with another hypothesis:
You did not create yourself right? Ok so we agree on this. The one who made us must have had a reason for doing so. We come into this world and generally begin by doing our own thing until one day it dawns on us that there must be more to life. It cannot just be about eating, sleeping, having fun, working and so on. When a manufacturer makes a product, they always have a purpose for that product. A knife is made to cut stuff, if you use it to put food in your mouth, it will cut you and cause you to bleed. When you bleed, depending on how badly cut you are, it may lead to infection and maybe even death. Maybe you survive the cut but you go through a lot of pain before it heals; that is exactly how life is. If you do not find out and live the purpose for which you were made, you may be trying to live a life that was not what you were designed for thus creating a lot of wounds and pain in your life. Kinda like a square peg in a round hole! Being born again simply means you have gone back to submit to your manufacturer and ask him to use you for the purpose he made you. You change from living a life in which you experienced a lot of self inflicted pain through sin to a life of true purpose.
Your maker knows what you need in order to navigate through this complex world. He alone knows why he made you. You really will never experience true fulfillment until you are walking in your divine purpose. This is why those friends and family of yours suddenly become very excited, very happy, this is why they want to give all of themselves including their finances for godly purposes. This is why they cannot be silent and they want to tell everyone they know and all they meet about their Jesus. Isaiah 43:21 says “the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise”. We were made to praise God and show forth his glory. Isaiah 43:7 “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made”. Until you experience this, you will never understand what you are missing. Your friend or family member is not crazy, neither are they brainwashed, they have simply found their raison d’etre! You can find yours too in Christ. It does not matter what church you go to or what your academic or financial standing in life is, your true purpose is waiting to embrace you and when you find it, you will never be the same again. When you find it, you too will want to shout it from the mountain tops.
Your creator did not make you to struggle through life on your own, he wants to make things better for you but will not force himself on you.When all is said and done this is what your creator himself requires: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. I implore you to be open to this quest and you will be pleased with what you will find. If you need help to work through this, holla at me or at any one of those friends and family you thought had lost their minds. There is just something about the man called Jesus! Oh taste and see that the Lord, he is good!
Truth Heals Me 
The problem I see with why people think born-agains have lost their mind is the fact that many who could reason out things for themselves, all of a sudden a lead by the nose by any Tom, Dick or Harry who calls himself a pastor or prophet. Many DONOT search the scriptures for themselves, the just follow even when it is biblically evident that what they are being told to do is wrong. That is why many are skeptical these days. Someone who can work will start waiting for manna to fall from heaven because prophet said, many will refuse to take medication, because pastor said and then they end up dying, many will give all to the pastor and starve their children at home …the list is long. I am a born-again believer myself and a professional too, but I strongly believe that most of the time, WE the believers are those who give non-believer the reason to laugh at us and our Jesus.
We, the children of God have been given THE SECRET in Christ Jesus which is the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, to enrich us in EVERY area of our lives but most often it is the contrary. When we begin to tap into the spiritual realm and into the riches in glory, then we will begin to be just like that shining star that led the wise men to Jesus. We will begin to shine and our rays of light will led others in our entourage to the KING of KINGS.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Holy Spirit is the best Teacher. Who can be wiser than someone taught by the Holy Spirit.
LikeLike
I love it sis. Beautiful.
LikeLike
I’ve heard all sorts of questions? OMG!
Irine what happened? I am worried about this decision of yours. Don’t lose focus please. People will think you’re frustrated. 😲
Was your father not a Presbyterian Pastor? Being born again might be perceived as being rebellious against the church that raised you. Etc etc etc. Nobody can understand that you only become born again once and until you’re born again you can never understand the difference between just going to church and encountering the Holy Spirit and practically worshiping God in spirit and in truth. And wherever that encounter happens any decision thereafter is no longer emotionally or intellectually influenced but entirely spiritually guided. I’ll be born again over and over again and I rock because I know who I am 😀😀😀
LikeLike
In this world we will have tribulation and we will be hated for loving Jesus a little too much. When you are born again, you just can’t help but proclaim from the roof tops what the Lord has done for you. This does not mean born again Christians can no longer think. They have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus. They are therefore slaves to Christ. You are either a slave to Christ or to the Kingdom of darkness. The Holy Spirit controls our lives, thinking and hearts. That is why we are weird because what we love, the world will hate. It is foolishness to them. So next time you are criticized for being born again, smile because you are in the narrow road that leads to joy unspeakable. Life begins when we are radical for Jesus.
LikeLike
Very thought-provoking one here sis. You have raised some questions we see a lot, some questions that have crossed my mind & some I have seen or heard. As a Christian woman, born & raised in the Christian faith & now a more mature person, my faith & understanding of God has also grown in maturity. I respect other people’s right to pray & enjoy God however they want, I understand the new excitement you mention & it is beautiful to behold when you see that someone’s quality of life, joy, peace & countenance is just so genuine & attributed to their new-found or old & existing relationship with God.
On the other hand, I have to say, that some Christians take this same beautiful enjoyment instead as a tool to mock others rather than uplift. It almost seems like they have separated themselves from others as the cream of the crop, when they identify themselves now as born again. They segregate & don’t mix or fraternize anymore with those who are not chanting the same like them. Sometimes it appears, that if they try to draw you into their church or way of worship but you don’t follow, that you are no more worthy of their presence or interaction. This kind of behavior by some, kind of drives some of the criticisms Christians receive. So, the same people who love bed you, broke bread with you, laughed & comforted you while you had not discovered Christ, suddenly are not worthy of the new and “saved” you? This is what makes some people think brainwashing is going on, cause it seems for SOME of us Christians, that being born again is passport to treat other “non-born agains” like second class & unclean.
When we can see, that we are all sinners, just trying to find happiness & joy, no one better than the other, that today we are abiding by God’s principles, but tomorrow we may fall & need to get back up again; then we will treat everyone with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, born again or not. May the renewing of the mind & transformation of the spirit instead bring us closer to those who need this new creation in Christ so Christ can do his work on earth, rather than create a form or Christian elitism which seems to be some of the way that some born-again Christians are acting. Love love love all, reject no one. God is the one who makes us worthy, not our pastors or priests.
Thanks for another beautiful write-up which provoked teaching moments 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I hear this all the time. Some people judge you from your looks and assume you are not supposed to be born again or know Christ. Some have condemned us because according to them, we have betrayed the church. (Presbyterian Church) because my dad is a Pastor. They talk to you like they know your father so well and how he feels. I don’t blame them or get annoyed because I know they are ignorant. Some of them don’t yet know how it feels to know Christ or be born again. What I do is try to educate them, try to make them see why knowing Christ is very fulfilling. After all, we all are still babies in this journey.
Of course, seeking to know Christ more and being born again makes you think differently from others and that is why some of us are often labelled as being crazy frustrated and sometimes trying to show off. They feel when you follow Christ you are not supposed to go through trials and tribulations. They don’t know that your own trial is different from theirs, they don’t know that yours is for the glory of God. I personally don’t regret this journey because it feels so good. Do you know how I feel when I know that I am here only by His abundant grace and mercy? Do you know I feel when I know that there is somebody always interceding for me? It makes me know that that when I stumble and fall, when I go astray, instead of running away from Him and staying in darkness, I will run to Him because I know He is there waiting for me to confess my sins and be saved.
Salvation is personal but my prayer everyday is more people should seek to know Him for those that humble themselves under God’s hand will take the best course to secure themselves.
LikeLike
My, my, my, my God is good. My people perish for lack of knowledge. I was once blind but now I’m found. I refuse to fallin the trap of the enemy for I am no longer ignorant of his devices. My prayer is that the sweet Holy Spirit will touch all my family and friends at their own appointed time just as He touched me. I pray that my life would one day inspire them enough that they become open to taste this same fruit. I pray to stay righteous, so that my life would one day be a testimony for them to want to know my God and not a deterrent.
Bless you again WOG for this powerful revelation.
LikeLiked by 1 person