Man Made Orthodox

How’s your faith?

I’m so glad it’s pure and unyielding. But it’s okay if you think it’s just adequate or even hard to come by. Mine is not perfect but it’s well-founded and rock solid. It’s not something that I can talk about with passion or be very proud of but it is one thing that no one can overthrow and pass judgment on. God is my source of everything. It’s probably something we will both agree and pull together. Whatever I have, whoever I have become, wherever I may be, or no matter what perils and uphill battles I face, my faith is strong and God is my salvation.

One thing I have learned in this reality is that, we always aim to put God as the lifetime center of everything and make our relationship with Him unblemished – and oftentimes this is an enormous message we want to deliver, what we want people to see in us or what really matters. But how is our relationship with ourselves? Our family? Our brothers and sisters or different cultures? Our fellow living souls? Our union with God is what defines us most (for many I suppose). We become followers of Christ all the time or we may not be at all. At the very least, we are reflecting our sinful self rather than the glorified Christ we want to let shine in our lives because we forget that our walk with God is tied up in our relationship with others, anywhere we go.

Matthew 5:23-24

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Our relationship with God has been well established but we must also keep in mind that our relationship with others reflects our walk with Jesus. The two are inseparable. We often times dwell on our affinity with God, alone, or at least we pretend it was, and envelope ourselves with God in our lives – sealed, a personal and private thing. Or perhaps public, as we seek validation. But let me share one wise saying that opened not just my ears and my eyes but to the reality of it all, ‘a person will not be accepted as a prophet by their congregation until they are accepted as a pastor first (someone who loves them)’. This reminds me that we cannot separate our neighbourhood – work – play – home life – church – and hobbies with our faith. They are all intertwined in the person we are and they reflect on the other parts of our person.

We feel whole and holy when we preach and speak God’s words or when we live a pastorlike way of life. I have so much respect to those who speak the word of God and never miss to study and read the Bible day after day. But what if this choice results to depreciation and belittling of someone’s faith? There comes religion without relationship. I define and relate this as a job, and not as a career. Isn’t our relationship with God define how we perceive those who God brings into our lives? We must realise that everyone else can connect to God in the same deeply meaningful way we do without forcing them to be one of us. Other than genuinely manifesting His image, our appreciation of their soul and well-being should encourage a relationship with God that is significant, selfless and sacrificial. When we value people for who they are and not what they do for us, we begin to see them as God does. It’s defined by mutual appreciation of the One who made us and not by losing them because of our self made interpretation, our literal way of translating our faith. When we start to lose people, it’s not always what they have done. Most of the time, it’s about what they didn’t do. You heard me say this several times. Once or twice, it’s because we failed to surrender ourselves. We didn’t submit ourselves to what they want us to believe or become. That’s the sad reality. But with that reality, it was something that I can’t just stuck it out.

Matthew 6:1 and 9-15.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

I have been awakened with this freedom from contamination. I have come to realise my worth and appreciate those who really regard me genuinely and not as an object of their ministry. I don’t read the Bible everyday. I’m a disgrace and my lack of attention is inexcusable. My faith may be silent and I’m not as good as others who talk and share about God’s words but I know I am not one of those people fueled by false confidence, egoistic attention and hypocrisy. People who let the crap out of them on what the eyes can see to receive or gain – ‘what you want them to see or know’ rather than becoming someone no one thought you could be. Not even you. Be someone who pays attention and not someone who seeks content and validation. We speak and write what praises nor gratifies people. We show what we choose people want to see. You can’t be a saint on one side of the world and half of this earth, you are ungodly bigot. You can’t say your relationship with God is ideal when you have a loose or uncommunicative relationship with your brothers, sisters, co-workers, neighbours or even your sons or daughters.

Being God’s daughter, created in His image can’t be taken away from me even if someone deems me unworthy or because I’m a Catholic and not a Born-Again Christian. Or their religion as ideal in the eyes of God and mine is not. Or mine’s unjustified. My faith did not falter and can’t be taken away just because someone treated me with prejudice, lack of decency and sees me as downright sin. Some people will always eye my intellect, my never ending goals and accomplishments useless, and worldly. I beg pardon if you’re not goal-driven and I desire for feather in somebody’s cap. I know that I always aim to acquire vast amounts of pursuits and knowledge, yet I still make the wrong choices and decisions in life but God has made me aware that “whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool”. I have this wisdom to know what’s best for me, humble wisdom that’s willing to help and be shared. Wisdom that comes from the ultimate source of wisdom, God himself. People may think that I have taken the wrong turn and decision but I have never turned my back to my ultimate source of strength, my God, my Saviour. I am a sinner but I’m not a pushover. I won’t let my faith and worth be defined by my religion or other people especially by their man made orthodox, inconsistent and selective self-proclaimed transfiguration. It’s defined by God, and He says I am special.