Today I want to talk to you about following Jesus. To believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour is one thing; but to follow Him is another thing. We follow people or we do things usually because we believe that those things are good to do, or the people are worth following. A lot of people follow or idolize famous rappers because they believe those people are something special and worth adoring and following. They act like them, talk like them and believe what they believe because somehow people think they will be blessed if they act like the rapper. What I am trying to say is that if you believe in someone or something you are going to follow them, act like them, and do and believe what they believe.
Don’t just believe, do something.
In the Bible, James tells us: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Now that you are a Christian, and a Somali Christian at that, life is a little different. You feel the blessings of Christ in your life. You feel the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you. You feel peace. You feel joy. You know that your sins are forgiven and that you have eternal life. But your Christian life doesn’t end with that. In fact, it is just the beginning.
When people walk down the street they do so putting one foot in front of the other. If you are walking down a sidewalk and you see a puddle coming up, you move over to the side to avoid the puddle. If you are walking on a dirt trail or a dirt path and you see a root, or a rock on the path, you avoid the object and walk around it or over it. You like to keep your feet on solid ground.
The Christian life is like that. Psalm 40 says:
“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”
The question for many of you Somali Christians is: how do I walk the Christian walk? What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? How do I know what the right path is?
Read your Bible
First off you need to read your Bible. The Bible says:
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
The Bible will tell you where to go. God’s Word will tell you what to do. The Word of God will tell you what to do believe. God will tell you in the Bible who you are and what it is that you are supposed to be doing. So read your Bible.
The Bible says:
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.”
I’m telling you to do what I do. I’m telling you to do what the Bible tells us all to do. We are to meet with other Christians so that we can encourage each other in our faith. And you as a Somali Christian need all the encouragement you can get. And you will be encouraged when you meet with other Christians. You can pray together, sing together, share your needs with one another, and be blessed by talking and sharing with each other. You cannot live the Christian life alone. We are part of a body and we need each other.
If you need wife or a husband
Let’s say that some of you Somali Christians now realize that you cannot marry someone from your clan or nationality because you want to marry a Christian. You want to marry someone who is of the same faith you are. You want to go to church with your family and raise your children to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. How are you going to find a spouse?
The Bible says:
“Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.”
You need to believe God’s Word. You need to believe in the goodness of God your Father that He cares about you and wants the best for you. Take one step at a time. If you are able to then go to a church and meet with other Christians. Let your requests be made known to God. Tell God what you need because God cares for you and wants to give you your heart’s desires.
Read your Bible and pray. Believe that God has a plan for your life and that included giving you a good Christian wife or a good Christian husband. And don’t put restrictions on who God brings your way. You may end up marrying someone who is not Somali. You may end up marrying someone who is not the same colour as you are. But God will provide the right colour in the person’s heart. A heart filled with a love for the Lord Jesus Christ. A heart that is pure and kind toward God and toward you. God will provide.
Don’t give up
I’m not telling you to do anything that I didn’t do. When I became a Christian I didn’t know anyone who was a believer and prayed to God and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I fell on my knees and cried. I cried and told God I was lonely. I told Him I wanted to get married. I read my Bible and believed that God would provide me with a good wife and He did. It took time. There were many trials along the way. I was lonely for a time. But God provided. And I am now happy in the Lord and my wife and I are serving Him with joy in our hearts.
So don’t give up. God is with you. Believe in God’s Word and in His mighty power. Let’s pray.