Stand out and be different!

Imagine being a pink pearl among a sack of golden pearls. The golden pearls might overwhelm the single pink pearl in numbers but the single pink pearl will always stand out and be different from the whole batch of pearls. The 21st century idea of standing out and being different means different things to different people. However, in this post, our focus is on being different in relation to living righteous and blameless even in the midst of sinfulness and evil. It is so common for people to accept the wrong as normal when the majority pushes for the acceptance of the wrong thing. The pink pearl in the midst of a whole sack of golden pearls might never win an argument against the whole batch, might never win a vote on issues, might never be selected as the best but will always remain different.

Believers have not been chosen to run with the tide. We have been called to redirect people to the Light of the world, to be a lamp that shines in the dark and to be a voice of direction to the Saviour of the world. Since the beginning of the world, God has always sought-after those who stand out in the midst of sin and evil. In the early years of our world, The Lord God saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5‭-‬7‬). Humanity’s sins made the Creator troubled. In the midst of this poignant display of iniquity, God saw a pink pearl, someone who was different from the rest of the batch. God saw a righteous man.

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭6:9‬)

Genesis‬ 6:8‬ follows God’s regret and plan to wipe out all human race. However, someone stood out and was different from the rest of the human race. According to Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.” It is easier for us to celebrate Noah but he might have been ostracized for choosing a different path from all others. He might have been ridiculed, avoided in some places and considered antisocial. Yet, he was the one the Lord God favoured. The account of Noah and his family goes like this: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭6:9‬). As at the time Noah was walking faithfully with God, the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence (Genesis‬ ‭6:11‬). No where was safe. People became so violent that harming each other was common. How did Noah survive such a godless, evil, brute and perverse world? He chose to do what was right, chose to be blameless and he chose to walk with God.

Remember, it was not written that God forced Noah to be righteous, blameless and walk with Him. This implies that our desire to stand out and be different should be a personal decision. As we still navigate the new year, we need to make a life-changing decision to live right, to be blameless and to walk with God throughout the year and beyond. Standing out from all evil and living differently might come with its own challenges. You can be rejected by friends, society can call you names, you can be ostracized, and even refused access to certain places. However, make a decision to live for the Lord and be ready to stand for your convictions. This was Peter’s advice to the church considering being holy in the midst of an unholy people:
“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:13‭-‬16).

A charge to wives: Women in the church in Ephesus

Paul established the church in Ephesus through the initial contact with twelve disciples (Acts 19). After baptizing these people into regeneration, and placing his hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. The church in Ephesus was birthed. However, Paul faced a series of opposition in Ephesus caused by the silversmith Demetrius who made images of the goddess Artemis. Yet, the church stood strong. The letter to the church in Ephesus was Paul’s explanation to the believers’ new identity in Christ. Paul charged the believers on different facets of their new life in Christ. From Chapter 4:17 till the end of the letter, Paul touched on different issues regarding Christian living, marriage, children, homebuilding among others. This post will consider the charge to the wives in Ephesus as presented in Ephesians chapter 5. This charge is relevant even today.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)

In Ephesus 5:21, Paul states that “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This begins the charge to Christian households. Paul admonished that submission be made to one another in the home. Then, Paul addresses each player in the home. We will focus on the charge to the Christian wives:
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22‭-‬24)
First, Paul already set the premise that in the home, submission should be made to one another. But to the wives, Paul specifically directed the Christian wives to submit to their own husbands as they submit to the Lord. Why the specific emphasis on the submission of wives? Naturally, many of us as women will not easily submit to our husbands just as we submit to the Lord. In fact, the idea of submitting itself is not pleasant to many wives and to the extent of submitting as the Lord is not quite an easy route. However, if we fail to submit to our own husbands, then we have no head at all as we saw in 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Paul further explained that “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:23-24). This supports the points raised in 1 Corinthians stated above. Until you see your husband as your spiritual head, submission to him just as to the Lord will mean nothing to you. Remember, Paul does not state that submission is one-way in marriage. He addresses the two-way dimension of submission but the Christian woman should consider submission to the husband as submission to the Lord. This is very critical and affects our relationship with the Lord.

In general women must learn to submit to their own husbands. Your credentials and qualifications do not void submission. Therefore, it is necessary to review our intentions behind every decision we make in relation to marriage. If a man is spiritual but lacks character, know that you will be living the rest of your life submitting to him. Before you agree to a holy wedlock, know that submission is a given in Christian marriages.