TOO HOLY FOR THAT! - Ugochi Oritsejolomisan
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TOO HOLY FOR THAT!

too holy for that

07 Nov TOO HOLY FOR THAT!

Posted at 10:43h in Lifestyle, Love by
0 Likes

Wrong association is dangerous for anyone who really wants to live right. I am a strong believer that you should not have as close friends anyone who is not upholding the values and morals you live by, because you cannot continually hang with the wrong crowd without taking on some of their attitudes. You can easily begin to think like them, speak like them and act like them, and most of the times it happens unconsciously, trust me, I have first-hand experiences and I know you might too.
So then, what should we do, should we continually seek or relate with only people we always agree with? Should we continually relate with only those who believe what we believe, only those who we consider “good” or “pure” enough for our “holy” selves? I had to ask myself these questions because I needed to know how to relate with “other” people after I got saved. Would I be offending God if I smiled, played or ate with a non-Christian? Should I accept a hand shake from them, should I even hug them?  If no, then how would I be able to spread God’s love to them?
Then one day, I saw something in the book of Matthew:
Matthew 9:10 (ERV)
Jesus ate dinner at Matthew’s house. Many tax collectors and others with bad reputations came and ate with him and his followers.
Jesus did what? He sat down and ate with the wicked tax collectors and people with bad reputations? Wo!!! Did He not care what some of His followers would think, would they still want to hear Him speak, would they still believe in Him, would they not name Him a sinner Himself?
The “mighty religious” leaders did question His leadership and authority; they did raise their eyebrows at Him.
Matthew 9:11-12 (ERV)
The Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with these people. They asked his followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other sinners?”
But the following verse cleared my heart on this issue:
Matthew 9:12 (ERV)
Jesus heard them say this. So he said to them, “It is the sick people who need a doctor, not those who are healthy.
Jesus came and died for the lost, the “sick” in spirit, soul and body. He had a mission to the lost and He was going to have to be with them in order to reach them. He did not have to be like them, but He couldn’t reach them if He could not be with them.
So I could eat with them, sit with them, shake hands with them, talk with them, and even hug them. I must love them in order to reach them, and this love can be shown in different forms as long as I do not get into sin myself. I must know to draw the lines in my relating with them. I have known that there is a difference between reaching out to sinners and companying with them. The latter is the dangerous one according to 1 Corinthians 15:33and Proverbs 13:20
Jesus had His disciples as His companions but He also reached out to others by sometimes “being with” them.  He did not consider them unworthy of His love, He did not consider them worthless or common or irrelevant, but He loved them and shared God’s love with them.
Even Peter had to learn this when God sent him to Cornelius a “sinner” because he was non-Jew, he did not belong to the family of Abraham so no Jew should have anything to do with him. But hear what Peter said about the matter:
…”You understand how wrong it is for a Jewish man to associate or visit with anyone of another race. But God has shown me that I should no longer call anyone impure or unclean.”
Act 10:28 (GW)
So we should not consider ourselves so proudly better than other people, we should no longer think anyone unworthy of God. Our love, God’s love working in us should drive us to share His love at any cost, even at the risk of being mocked at by the religious or our church friends. After all, that is why we were saved and sent into the world, to bring sinners to God.
Are you doing anything about it, or are you too “holy” for that?
 
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Ugochi Oritsejolomisan
teshuva7@gmail.com

Ugochi Oritsejolomisan is a mentor, encourager and influencer. She writes to inspire you to live a full life. Ugochi lives in Canada with her husband Benson and their children; Joshua, Joseph and Josiah.

24 Comments
  • Ugochi
    Posted at 23:45h, 11 November

    Amen! Thanks for coming by, have a super blessed week ahead!
    Love

  • Morounfoluwa Lukina Akibo
    Posted at 23:44h, 10 November

    Well said!! Its something we all should be aware of..

  • ay
    Posted at 12:19h, 10 November

    Real food for thought…

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your lovely comment.

    I’m following now.

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 23:44h, 11 November

      Thanks Ay! Do have a super blessed day!
      Love

  • Unyime-Ivy King
    Posted at 18:41h, 09 November

    Thanks Ugochi for not shying away from talking about this matter of hobnobbing with others who do not share our faith and beliefs.We ought to relate, but within well defined parameters, of course, always keeping in mind that our Father always always loves the sinner, only hating the sin. Nice share sis.

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 20:14h, 09 November

      Absolutely! How can we reach them if we don’t love them? Thanks a lot for coming by and leaving this note, do have a super blessed day!
      Love

  • Shari Lynne @ www.faithfilledfoodformoms.com
    Posted at 13:37h, 09 November

    Great article Ugochi! I LOVE that Jesus ate with the “sinners” It’s one of my favorite scriptures..because I used to be one of “those”. Hoping all is well with you! Blessings!

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 20:12h, 09 November

      Oh yes! That was me too Shari. I am doing well with so much on my plate but God has been my help.I trust you are doing well too, thanks a lot for coming by. Do have a super blessed day!

  • Blessing Eremionkhale
    Posted at 05:48h, 09 November

    Well said. I love this

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 20:09h, 09 November

      Thanks a lot. I appreciate your coming by and leaving this note, I hope you come by often. Have a super blessed day!
      Love

  • God'sglory*7
    Posted at 23:42h, 08 November

    Wrong association a killer of destinies. I lost my salvation as a teenager because of wrong association. Thank God for His faithfulness. I encountered Jesus again in my early thirties. And this time there is no going back. Thank you so much for this word. It is right on time. Es.

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 20:05h, 09 November

      Praise God ma, thanks a lot for coming by.

  • Oluwaseun Sodunke
    Posted at 15:12h, 08 November

    God is good! I really like how you broke it down. God does want us to love others, but sometimes it has to be from a distance. You can associate with those who have not accepted Christ, because they need you to draw them close to God.

    You also have to be careful of how close you become. You can influence them, but don’t let them influence you. Being a college student, it’s hard not being able to find friends who have the same beliefs as you, but that does not mean you should be close-minded. Reaching out by saying hello or asking about their day will definitely leave them curious(in a good way).

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 17:47h, 08 November

      Very true sis! We have to do the Father’s will. Thanks for coming by and leaving this note!

  • Sykik
    Posted at 16:58h, 08 November

    God bless your heart. The bible also recounts that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”.

    We shouldn’t be too holy and all that to show others the path to God.

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 17:48h, 08 November

      Amen sis! Thanks for coming by and leaving this note.

  • dayor
    Posted at 07:42h, 08 November

    Very well said. Thanks for sharing and thanks for stopping by my blog

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 17:46h, 08 November

      Thanks a lot sis!

  • Hope Reid
    Posted at 00:02h, 08 November

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  • Hope Reid
    Posted at 00:02h, 08 November

    Great post. Falls in line with being in the world not of the world.

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 17:45h, 08 November

      True sis! Thanks for coming by!

  • A Proverbs 31 Wife
    Posted at 23:33h, 07 November

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  • A Proverbs 31 Wife
    Posted at 23:33h, 07 November

    I love this! So many times Christians feel that he shouldn’t associate with nonbelievers, I say how else would they get to know Christ?

    • Ugochi
      Posted at 17:44h, 08 November

      I say so too! Thanks Kay!