ARE CHRISTIANS NET IMPORTER OF TRENDS?

July 2024, the trend we are contending with in the church in Nigeria is 12345678 used in songs and gwo gwo dance. This isn’t the first trend and definitely not going to be the last. However, it appears that Christians like to react to issues instead of being proactive about our identity. As much as we must criticize the infiltration of ungodly trends into the church through the present-day youth, we must also challenge the fathers who have tolerated many things in the past.

Forgetfulness is a diseases and only introspection can solve it. If we carefully scrutinise many norms or practices in our church gathering, we may be shocked to discover that many of these practices were once ungodly or worldly, but after a while, it was accepted. We have wrongly defined exploit and success to mean huge numbers, both of the people and especially material possessions. As such, a congregation with a large number and sizeable financial stability suddenly becomes an acceptable voice or standards. God is obviously very patient, and this remarkable patience ought to make us scared, but we live like animals, which after their death, there is nothing more.

While I don’t dispute that many that bring these trends into the church are saved, I strongly question their knowledge of their identity and things expected from someone of such identity. Worship is such a sacred thing, and a minister that leads others in worship can not be naive. You can’t afford to bring just any sacrifice into the presence of the Holy one. Well, one can argue that we don’t even get anywhere close to God’s presence. Being a minister must not be downgraded to just being talented. As the talent is being discovered and nutured, so must the spiritual life of the minster be nutured. Discipleship is key to this, but then how many ministers were properly discipled in a local church. By discipleship, I don’t mean submitting under another man who is just seeking to build an army of faithful associates.

Excitement, many times, can become a distraction from the real goal. A man is more sensible when he’s sober. Could it be that our praise session on many pulpit are mere alternatives platforms for those who could not make it to the nightclub the previous day. How far have we fallen from grace.  Have we suddenly set aside the scripture that says friendship with the world is enimnty with God? We should not be shocked, we cherry pick scriptures and settle for the ones we can manipulate to please us.

Aside from having Christian names at birth, what other godly cultures have we sustained over the years? What are the lifestyles we have exported into the world? Devotions at schools and workplaces are dying,  Sundays schools are dying, we are replacing acts of godliness with charities, and the list is endless. Christian blogs are more of gossip blogs for church events, and they are building celebrities out of preachers. Many trending preachers and lesser Godly values on the street.

I personally believe Godly culture can’t be built with our weekly gathering alone. Of course, they help in setting coordinates, but we need godly homes where godly values and standard are lived out before we go out. It takes time, but it is what we must do. Cultures are built upon fundamental values of  a people, so I believe the basics of our Christian faith must be taught consistently.

“Love not the world and the things in it.” This line in the bible is a lot deeper than we can imagine. No matter how we want to twist it, we can not adapt worldliness to fit into godliness. It’s godliness that must move into the world.