Every association has requirements for intending members. These requirements are usually what qualifies or disqualifies anyone from joining the association. Interestingly, some people have to go out of their way and sometimes hurt others just to belong to a group or to be accepted as a part of such group(s).
I was privileged to listen to someone’s story of how she got initiated into a society and how she made up her mind not to be the only one to go through the torture and pain of belonging to that society. It was quite an horrific description, but in simple terms is called the initiation process.
This actually requires beatings, blindfolding and harassment of all forms, and it also includes eating of indescribable creatures.
I have always known from my childhood days that humans do not always want to suffer alone.
The human nature wants to drag others along with them when faced with unpleasant situations.
This can be explained using the example of two little kids who accidentally break a glass while playing. The one held responsible, probably because the other one tried to escape and succeeded will end up stating the fact that he or she was not alone when the incident happened. The question is why tell on the escaped partner in crime? It is simply because the human nature does not love to suffer alone.
Back to the story, the woman mentioned above said she decided to make others go through the same horror she went through and as a result, she had lured at least ten other people into the same society as at the time she told her story.
You may be asking the same question I asked myself when I heard this….” Of what use is the society.” the simple answer is she has no idea and all that matters to her is that the same way she was deceived into being a part of it, she must also deceive others and get them to have a taste of the agony that comes with “belonging”.
To think that it costs us nothing but genuine repentance to have a new beginning and belong to the family of Christ is absolutely amazing. It is not about what you are able to do or bring, what you have to eat or drink, it is not about taking an oath or pledging allegiance. It is all about forsaking our destructive ways and lifestyle which was actually going to lead to our destruction anyway. It is about embracing life instead of death, glory instead of shame , boldness instead of fear, good instead of evil, light instead of darkness.
1 John 1:7-9 New International Version (NIV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
It cost Jesus everything to bring humanity back to God. It cost Him an uncelebrated delivery in a manger, a shameful and painful death, burial, resurrection and ascension. If He went through all these just to require genuine repentance from you in return, do you think it is a good deal?
SOUL MEAL DECLARATION
#Dear God, it is your desire that I trust in you 100%. You do not want me to have an alternative , because you are capable beyond my imagination. My heart is all out for you, your Word and your will for my life. I only know in part and cannot rely on what I perceive to be right in my eyes. I therefore want to see through your eyes as I embrace your plans and decisions for my life, knowing fully well that your ability to know the end from the beginning gives me the privilege to have the best that you have for me as your adorable child. I will honor you always by letting you take the lead, while I follow quietly and sweetly, knowing that I am plying the best path available because the one I am following has plied the same path ahead of time. Glory!
Proverbs 3: 5-6, Ephesians 3: 20, 1Corinthians 13:9
MEAL FOR THE SOUL
It is not about some areas of my life, my desire is to have you lead in all areas, so I can have a life perfectly guided by the most reliable map ever! Psalm 37:5
Author Profile
- Temitope is the founder of thesoulmeal.com, an online platform that she shares with her God-given spiritual family and friends. She is a speaker, teacher and youth counselor. She is passionate about inspiring people to find their identity in Christ. Catch her interviewing inspiring leaders on Tongue of the Learned Podcast
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This is great sister topes. More grace
Glad you find it useful