LOYALTY & CHANGE.

    Many people have been working with great men of God who had a great standing with Christ and wowing manners. However, some of them end up ill mannered.

    Shockingly, some of these people are as close to these men of God as flesh and blood. Still, it doesn’t change the dent in their character. It doesn’t lead them to a point of holiness and consecration.

    God has given us men who we look up to, in terms of spirituality. We are opportune to have a peep into their lifestyle and imitate them. We call them mentors, spiritual fathers, pastors or leaders etc.

    These people are people we submit to their authority. They are people we watch their lives and ‘do as they do’. We put so much effort into being loyal to them.

    Yet, we pay less attention to replicating what we see in their lives.

Two biblical examples are;

1. Gehazi lived and worked with Elisha for a while. Yet, he could not deal with his greed. This same greed attracted a curse to his head(2Kings 5).

    Gehazi didn’t just develop greed at the sight of the gifts of Naaman. The greed had long been planted in his soul. He watered the tree and allow it grow to a full plant.

    Despite Elisha’s instructions to not have anything, his greed overcame the loyalty he had for his father in the Lord. Gehazi didn’t just give in to greed. He also disobeyed.

    At the end of it all, he was left with the punishment for his greed, a leprose body and a curse upon his generation. The greatest downside was that he lost a great mentor.

2. Judas Iscariot worked with Jesus as a treasurer. Yet, he didn’t get rid of the greed growing inside of him. Even while he was with Christ, he stole from the funds in the bag. He ended up committing suicide out of guilt.

    The bible recorded that Jesus taught His disciples separately on some special occasions. He gave them special lessons and tips that would help them be more like Him after He left.

    He taught them things that would help them represent Him well. Such that when He left and His spirit came, they were characterized by His own traits. Hence the word CHRISTAINS.

    Sometimes, it’s no longer about having a mentor or spiritual father. Having one is great, don’t get me wrong. But there’s more to it than that.

    A teacher’s job is to impart knowledge in you. He transfers or shares knowledge with you. It is left for you to obey or replicate what he told you.

    The Apostles replicated what they saw in Jesus. That was why they were associated with Him. Elisha replicated and did even more than Elijah. Such that when men saw him, they confirmed that the mantle of Elijah was upon him.

    No one will put you in the back seat when you have value to offer. Christ is the value that any Christian must be associated with. If you are a Christian and possess no characteristics of Christ, you are not a Christian.

    Christian is CHRIST-LIKE. If you must associate with Christ, you must have His qualities. It is His qualities that announce you as His child, not your words.

     Obedience to God and respect for elders in Christ is necessary for growth. If you must grow, don’t just do all you were asked. Replicate what you see!

    Replication is what causes change!

    If you can, have a spiritual father. Obey God. Obey him. Replicate his kindness, love and sacrifices with intentionality. Being close to him doesn’t guarantee change.

   Only when you consciously and unconsciously walk in the way of obedience can you change. Don’t be a Gehazi. Rather, be a Timothy who was Paul’s mentee.
    #GrowingInGrace