LETTER TO MYSELF – 11TH JULY 2020
Dear Pastor (Dr) Choolwe
REF : THE PARADOX OF CARING FOR OTHERS ESPECIALLY CHURCH MATES MORE THAN YOUR OWN RELATIVES
Allow me to address you as Pastor, Doctor, President and Founder of Gospel Envoys Church, Managing Consultant of Success Practitioners, Executive Director in the John Maxwell team etc………. congratulations but let me take you back to when you were just CHOOLWE.
My dear Choolwe, remember your relatives. Before any of your big titles came, they slept in grass thatched houses with you, braved the winter around the fire in the villages with you, ate chimbala with you, carried your sorrows and joys with you. They walked with you in Namaloba, chilombo, mulamatila, kalumwange, kashambana, longe, namilangi, TBZ, Luena and all places which probably less than quarter of your network today even knows. Choolwe remember the days of the rail single quarters in Livingstone, Dambwa Central, Kashitu, Dambwa North etc.
But today check yourself. Especially now that you are a Christian and very committed at church and doing fairly well in other areas. Choolwe where are they? Are they still part of your life? I mean WHERE ARE YOUR RELATIVES.
Choolwe there is one tendency among some Christians which you must check yourself and see where you stand. Remember this is a letter to yourself.
Choolwe have you noticed that for some Christians it is easy to help a person at church than a relative? I don’t know why it is so Choolwe. But many can give a lot of money to a church mate but some can’t even produce the same to help their own brother, sister, or mother.
Choolwe it is not true that all the giving people do at church is towards the work of God. A lot of it happens among themselves also and that is beautiful but it is not enough if your own relatives are suffering. Strangely many call helping those at church the work of God but I wonder who said helping your own brothers and sisters is not.
Choolwe you really need to check your heart. You may think you are being spiritual by helping church people more than your relatives but WHAT DOES THE BIBLE ACTUALLY SAY?
Choolwe you will tremble to hear that failing to care for your relatives makes you worse than a none believer. In fact when you do so the Bible says you have denied the faith. Choolwe if we judge your Christianity today by how you treat your relatives are you still standing or you have denied the faith? Choolwe you may say what do you mean am I in still in the faith. Choolwe see the scripture below:
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” – 1 Timothy 5:8
After pondering on these thoughts I realized that helping those at church more than my relatives does not make me more of a Christian. I actually need to help both or I deny the faith. But if you checked very well Choolwe it is very easy to neglect the very relatives you grew up with and feel you pleasing more to God by helping those at church.
Choolwe check yourself and do the right thing. By the way I am not talking about sacred giving such as tithe, offerings etc vs relatives as that would be equating family to God. Choolwe you know what I mean. That help beyond these sacred GIVINGS. And by the way helping relatives is not really sowing to the flesh. It only becomes a problem when you totally neglect God himself in your material dealings in preference for family.
I Choolwe then returned under the sun and concluded that true Christianity WILL NEVER ABANDON YOUR RELATIVES. In fact your Christian conduct towards them will win them more.
Choolwe this post is for you to act on not to write good English.
Happy weekend Pastor sir, happy weekend Doc, Happy Weekend Managing Consultant, Happy weekend John Maxwell Certified Expert. …….. Sorry but ask yourself again if your relatives were interviewed about you today would they confidently say HAPPY WEEKEND OUR BROTHER AND FAMILY MEMBER?