Apologies everyone! I meant to post this on Sunday, but truthfully, I didn't feel that I had it in me. I hope you enjoy this post, and please do interact with all the media at the end of the post :) Thank you!
THE DRIFT
This Sunday, I felt it was important to talk about a very common and shared experience amongst young Christians, and I’ve called it ‘The Drift’. I was led to watch Joe Garratt’s testimony on The Way UK (a British YouTube channel created by young Christians) where he mentioned how he had grown up in a household where his dad was Christian, he went to church etc. However, when it was time for secondary school, he realised that he had sort of drifted and not maintained the lifestyle of a Christian. As I look back, I realise that I fully relate to Joe. My primary school did not have many Nigerians or black people in it so when I got to secondary school, I remember being desperate to make friends with the black girls, as soon as I could! Although many had grown up going to church and things, a lot of the girls I chose to follow were following the trends at that time: listening to music full of dodgy lyrics, watching programmes not made for their age range, and simply acting nasty. I not only overlooked the bad, I took a deep dive into all of it. Listening to the music and creating playlists for music I didn’t like and laughing at the behaviour I knew was troubling other students. By the time I got to university, the desire to party had accumulated, and I wanted to go out allll the time, look good in front of boys, and simply put myself at risk. Like Joe, and even like myself, this seems to be such a common experience amongst young Christians, this drift. I had been thinking about what a common factor in these stories was, and I think it all leads back to association. Many of us wandered off and became associated with the wrong congregation of people (Proverbs 21:16). It also occurred to me that the other common factor was that it is easy to drift. As Christians and especially young Christians, we are physically (NOT spiritually – 2 Kings 6:17-20) harder to find nowadays. When we get to places like secondary school and university, many are focused on the things we shouldn’t be. Therefore, I want to open this piece asking that you pay careful attention to the company you keep, so that you do not drift away (Hebrews 2:1). On my little Christian AI app (Bible Chat – highly recommend ;)) I asked whether someone in the Bible had experienced this sort of drift, and King Solomon came up. Hence, I thought it would be beneficial to read and reference his story.
King Solomon wrote three books from the Old Testament – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, and scripture tells us that he was the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29-31). An example of His God-given wisdom that I love is Proverbs 3, which I will add below:
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.[b]
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.
19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse
but takes the upright into his confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
There are so many lines to ponder and chew on, just like there are throughout all of Proverbs. Despite this wisdom, Solomon had a change of heart, and at the centre of his drift and eventually, his downfall, is a relationship. 1 Kings 11 discusses how King Solomon was no longer wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, because of the many foreign wives he loved. They were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. God had warned the Israelites not to intermarry with them, saying in verse 2 that, “they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Unfortunately, Solomon did not head to this warning, and he was led astray. He built high places or places of worship for these small letter ‘g’ gods. God consistently points out the difference in heart posture Solomon has now taken on, in comparison to his father, David. God did not let this change of heart go unanswered for, bringing up obstacles for him. What I was really getting at with King Solomon’s story is, despite the father he grew up with, how close he was to God, and how wise he was, he was still led astray by other people, whilst he got older. Comparing this with what many young Christians experience, this doesn’t seem too far off. However, do not be worried or stressed! If you’re reading this today then you want to know God deeper, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and you’re still alive. That means you’ve been blessed with the opportunity to live this life out with God. If your past looks like this, you do not need to worry. God does not hold onto our sin or look at our past. God wants to do something new (Isiah 43:19), and most of all, His grace is absolutely sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Let’s talk more about grace :)
While you were behaving like this, God did not hate you, or determine that you can’t be used. God does not look at our past (Philippians 3:13-14). This action of giving us what we don’t deserve is His grace. Although I would like to make grace another post, I want to write about grace so you can be encouraged today. As I mentioned, grace is something we don’t deserve, but have been given freely. In fact, we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is not just a concept, though, and shows up in the stories of many characters in the Bible. An example is the Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul was formerly a persecutor of Christians, but on the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with Jesus (Acts 9). The grace extended to him by Jesus is transformative and paves the way for God and Paul to commune, and for Paul to live his life with God. I know sometimes it can be really hard to even accept the grace you’re given, knowing that it means God wants to extend His mercy, forgiveness, and love to us. Like, you witness your actions, thoughts, and decisions first hand, seeing how they might hurt others. It can be hard to think you’re worth that forgiveness. But you are. Grace upon grace, even (John 1:16). Although I want to validate this feeling, because it is something I often feel, you need to see it as a hurdle, stopping you from experiencing God’s love in full. We did not work for this grace, so do not believe there’s anything you can do to ‘top it up’ and if you think it sounds too good to be true, just remember that it reflects the extent of God’s love for us.
Thank you for reaching the end of this post!! I know there was a lot take in, but I really hope that you see you’re not alone in this drifting experience, but also feel encouraged that by grace, there is always a way back. Thanks be to God!
Thank you for reading, I love you with the love of the Lord.
Hope you’re having a great week ;)
R x
SOTW: 'Everyday' by Claudia Isaki