I am a Christian who lives in this terrible world of temptations to ignore the strict call of Christianity just like everyone else. A true Christian will sometimes be faced with and face some circumstances that challenge his or her religious beliefs. This is mainly because there is no moment a Christian ought not to be in line with what the Bible teaches. What then helps a believer to keep himself or herself within the strict perimeters of Christianity? I will share what helps me, which is surely not exhaustive, yet I believe it will help the determined believer to grow in faith.
I read the Bible
It takes courage to read the Bible yet it is very necessary for the believer. I have made it my daily habit to read the Bible at least once but normally I would read it both in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, while I’m in bed, I read a chapter from the Old Testament then before we go to bed I call my family together to read a section from the New Testament. Sometimes after reading the Bible there seems to be nothing learnt yet when you read it, there is something somewhere in the spiritual world that happens to your favor. When you do get time to read it, remember that God has vowed that His word cannot return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11) and that all scripture is God breathed for a purpose (2 timothy 3:16).
It is a given that what you read should be put to practice. This is another difficult part because it often means doing things differently and risk being perceived as irrational. For example, when everyone seem to understand why there is no need to confess and repent to someone you have offended yet, the Bible teaches that it right to do so. I am sure you also can come up with some examples of things that you know to be seen as insane for Christian to observe yet such things are ignorable in worldly standards.
I attend and participate in church activities
Going to church is good but doing more by participating in various church activities is even better. As a Christian father and husband, when fathers prepare to share a song in church, I make an effort to be part of the presenters. Often times I prepare to render a song(s) or even some drama according to what the Spirit leads me to do.
The church often organizes evangelism activities such as door-to-door, hosting revival services, open air, hospital visits and prison visits; I always make an effort to participate in these too.
I listen to sermons by other pastors
My pastor preaches a lot and he is undoubtedly good but I’m not in any way limited to just his sermons. YouTube is a good starting point to search for good sermons because you can search for any topic of interest and most likely find a good pastor that addresses the subject. Normally, there are more than enough options on pastors to choose from. n this way, I have been exposed to wonderful preachers, which I recommend for you too, such as the following:
- Bill Wiese
- Abraham Yakubu (the link is about his testimony)
- Zac Poonen
- Nabeel Qureshi
- Tony Evans
These are just a few pastors that I have taken note of yet I have listened to many others. In the list are Miles Munroe, Billy Graham, T D Jakes and Chreflo Dollar. In all this, I have found my Bible knowledge to be handy in helping me know that which is right and worth taking and that which I should ignore, no matter who says it.
I have grown to listen to some of the sermons I find inspiring over and over again. This has helped me keep reminded of God’s expectations. If you adopt this approach, you may want to extract audios from these sermons so that it is easy to carry around and listen to.
I research on topics of confusion
I believe that if you are not clear or have no knowledge on something, ask someone. One option to get answers is through research. Research can be done on the internet, by asking some theologians (your pastor is most like one), by discussing with other Christians and by praying for God to give you His view on the subject. I have personally discovered that God does speak to people in different ways. I have written an article on that subject and tittle it ‘How does God speak to people today’.
I pray
I don’t want to mention how many times a Christian should pray because there is no limit to that. I do lots of short prayers a lot, even if its few words like saying, ‘God please help me forget about that’. Some of the prayers I make are with my family, wife, church mates and strangers. It is an expected practice for Christians to pray and pray and pray, even when it seems too much.
There is a lot more that I do and that which a thriving Christian should do but I just want to recommend the above as my top list because I have used them and found them working. Remember that the greatest source for inspiration to keep going is the Holy Bible. If at all what I have suggested in this post seems impossible to implement, please stick to what the Bible teaches.
Be blessed.