STEP YOUR GAME UP!
Over a decade ago when I was still very young and in Primary School, I remember how I and my siblings always pestered my Dad to get us our own Video Game (most of our friends had).
He kept telling us we shouldn't worry, he was gonna buy it when we come out first position in class, blah-blah-blah. Long story short, he finally got us the Video Game cos we had been bombarding him with our requests for quite some time. Yeah, you can just imagine the screams, and smiles on our faces. We thanked him, and straight away without wasting any second, PLUGGED AND PLAYED! We had finally gotten the Video Game and all we wanted to do or think was to play the Video Game.
Every moment we spent playing the game was exhilarating. We didn't care if we were losing, especially when we played games like soccer, and fighting games. I mean, what did we have to care about? We were enjoying our brand new Video Game!
After a few months of enjoying the game, personally, I (including my siblings) started getting bored. Why was the boredom and lack of zeal setting in? We were no longer enjoying it…cos we weren't WINNING! Yes, I realized my goal was to win anytime I played, and since I wasn't achieving my goal, I started losing interest in the game. Hmm…does that sound familiar?
Now let's view this through a different lens. Can you remember when you first got Born Again? I mean those who really met with Jesus and their lives made a complete 180°. That feeling of joy you felt and you thought your heart was gonna explode. For some, it did explode and you could see the excess joy flowing out via their eyes. Hmm…I can see someone smiling now (*winks*). For those who have not had the opportunity to be born again, you'll never understand the feeling, and you'll think those who are born again are simply jerks. It only takes an ENCOUNTER with JESUS to get OBSESSED and your life will NEVER REMAIN THE SAME. I urge you to take a step of faith and experience what we are experiencing in Christ…Ok, I'm sorry I had to deviate. Back to the topic. (*smiles*).
Now, remember when you first encountered Christ, it was like you had flames on your butt. You couldn't help but jump around, trying to let the whole world know how blind they are and what they are missing…what you are now enjoying. You were super excited and you didn't care, you just wanted to preach to whoever that cared and didn't care to listen. In your attempt to lead others to Christ, you said both what you were meant to say, and the ones you weren't meant to say. Old friends called you "spirikoko" but you didn't give a freaking frying pan what they thought about you.
But after a while of "initial ginger" and "grah grah", you were no longer feeling your "evangelical efforts". Why? Cos you were not WINNING!…You were not winning souls. Why weren't you winning souls? You might not know this, but you were not winning souls because of your APPROACH! Yes, you were unskillful (if you let me put it that way) in your efforts to evangelize. You approached reaching the lost the wrong way. This is what I call MINISTRY MISTAKES. (You can as well take it as the title of this article *smiles, winks and tongue out*). Everyone of us who had a genuine encounter with Christ has made these mistakes. If not, you didn't really encounter Jesus. Yes, I said it. (*keeps straight face*). If really you are born again, you will be obsessed with the whole "Jesus Thang" to the point where people see you as a jerk. I believe God designed it that way. Actually, the aim of MINISTRY MISTAKES is to announce to the world who you are now, your new identity (in Christ). It was indeed for a purpose. But it has it's expiration date…the moment you stop feeling the zeal cos you ain't winning enough souls, or not winning at all. Let's take a short break here.
I and my siblings realized our aim for playing the game was to win and we weren't achieving it, yet we wanted to keep enjoying the game. But at that point, we knew we couldn't enjoy the game any further until we started winning. So we consulted the game manuals, read about some tips we were missing out. Even at school, we collected "cheat codes" from classmates for some particular games with really difficult game levels. After we had armed ourselves with the vital information we had been missing, we set out to launch it!
As we applied the new tips and "cheat codes", we started WINNING most of our games, and it brought back the excitement in the game! The fun we were losing came back. Boredom evaporated into thin air. Boy we were winning BIG! (Though we didn't win all). We kept sourcing for more tips and "cheat codes" to upgrade our game-playing skills and try out "new moves". It was super exciting! Anytime friends came over to play, we were eager to "flog" them with our new moves to show we were no longer novice, but now PROS IN THE GAME! As long as we were winning, we never lost zeal for the game. Infact, our zeal for the game intensified. Game freaks (past and present) understand what I'm saying. WINNING was (still is) the aim of the game!
Now, we've made our own MINISTRY MISTAKES. We've been pushed by our impulse (not the Holy Spirit) in order to spread the gospel and UNASHAMEDLY proclaim our identity in Christ. But at some point, we were not being fulfilled because we weren't making the impact we desired. Now is the time to stop being a novice and become a PRO IN THE GAME! Let's go back to our "Game Manual" and look for the vital information we have been missing out…yes, those tips and "cheat codes" (*smiles ane winks*). And of course, we have no other game manual for this "Game" other than THE BIBLE. It contains every strategy for any game level (easy, medium, hard, difficult). The truth is; some are still making those MINISTRY MISTAKES, some are losing zeal cos they ain't winning, and some are getting tips from the "Game Manual", applying it, and seeing the results…WINNING of course.
I'm not here to give you any tips, strategy or cheat codes because I don't know which "game CD" you slotted into the "Video Game".
But I'm here to refer you to The Book, the Game Manual that has all you need for any kind of game you are playing. And that book remains THE BIBLE. Read it, study it, meditate on it and most especially, study how Jesus played the game cos He was always winning.However, I have a few general tips I can share. :)
• DON'T JUDGE/CONDEMN: Never tell anyone they are sinners (even though it may be apparent that they are). Try not to tell them what they are doing is a sin…they know that anyway, and they are tired of hearing the same thing from different people. Instead, tell them what they don't know…the Love and Grace of God, or PRAY FOR THEM if you don't know what to say. Prayer still works. (*smiles*)
• HAVE A LOVE PERSONALITY: Love EVERYBODY…the smoker, the drunkard, the fornicator, the prostitute, the homosexual, the rapist, the thief, the murderer, the cultist, etc. You don't know what triggered the lifestyles they have chosen. They are actually good people, you just have to get close enough to see beyond the surface. A lot of them need help but don't know who to talk to.
• DON'T BE RELIGIOUS: Don't always act super spiritual. Be REAL, or you'll be seen as a HYPOCRITE. Don't act like a superhuman, all perfect and never experiencing temptation…even Jesus was tempted in everyway like us. BE HUMBLE! Don't act like you know it all (even if you "think" you do). Also, know when to have REAL conversations without bringing in the "Jesus talk". But keep your conversation clean.
• PREACH LESS: Don't misunderstand this one. What I mean is; don't be a pest cos people get irritated when you are too "preachy". Instead, do the preaching with your actions. Let them know you are REAL, yet you are a Christian in the way you live your life. It's worse when you don't practice what you preach. You don't have to write it on your forehead or broadcast it to the world that you are born again. By your "fruits" you'll be identified. (Talking from experience).
• BE A PEOPLE PERSON: This is my favorite strategy. I had to learn this cos I used to be an introvert…a certified recluse. (Thank God for Jesus *smiles*). Don't be afraid to mix up with the so called bad boys and bad girls (except you are still new and growing in the faith). Be friendly. Be a happy person. Be humourous, don't be "too serious" all the time…SMILE!!! People love being around happy people because they are fun to be around with. Make friends with people you know who actually need Jesus. Be generous. Be the Bible that they read daily. Get close enough to win their trust, because that is when they will respect you, as well as your opinions when it comes to correcting them. Become a great friend to them and they will trust you enough to meet you when they are in need of help or advice, and even tell you their struggles, knowing you will be of help and won't be critical towards them. It's much easier to lead people to Christ this way, but you must be mature in the faith and constantly growing and developing spiritually, mentally and emotionally so you don't get influenced by their negative lifestyles.
Now let's get our cheat codes and tips and start WINNING again. This does not only give us joy, but Heaven is full of joy whenever we win. Get much more vital tips and cheat codes from the game manual (THE WORD) and become a PRO IN THE GAME.
Do have a wonderful weekend!
