YOU CAN'T RUN FOR TOO LONG

 

YOU CAN'T RUN FOR TOO LONG

  

 Written By Michael Chidiebere Ituma

I knew what I wanted to do on Facebook when I first joined in 2015, it was clear as crystal. Asides blending minds with phenomenal individuals, I wanted to be an outstanding dispenser of the word of God. 

       

       

       

The euphoric aura that came with having a Facebook account to my credit was such as I had never felt before. I didn't really understand why I felt so much intrigued by this simple possession but I was sure it was the beginning of something new, something entirely different.  

  

     

       

My first post was the word of God. I can't remember what exactly because that Facebook account was hacked during the heat of #Endsars protest last year. That post didn't get as much as 10 likes. If I won't be mistaking, it had only 5 likes and a few comments - or there were no comments at all.  

         

       

      

Things were going quite fine -- I kept dispensing the word, I began to gain some grounds, I was happy people were coming to the knowledge of the truth, in fact, someone encouraged me to keep rolling the dices, that I would do well in Christian literature; I wasn't too surprised, I was seeing it already -- until the clay drifted off the potter's grip. 

       

      

Motivations began to filter in from all angles. I began to see that preaching the word of God wasn't all there was to owning an account on Facebook. I began to see posts where people noised their various escapades of successes. 

       

        

       

I began to loss focus of my mission and vision for the growth of the word of God and His kingdom. The thing was, these people weren't even preaching the word of God on their walls. What then was the use of Matthew 6:33 - "Seek ye first the kingdom...?" I became ashamed. 

        

        

        

Then the unexpected happened. I lost it. It slipped off my wheels. I had seen on someone's wall that Facebook wasn't a church -- or so. That impression sunk so deeply inside me that I began to wonder why I should be the one preaching when I'm not a clergy. So I let go; preaching is meant for a clergy, and me, I wasn't one. 

       

      

That, in fact, was the beginning of deviance on my path. I began to yearn for this and that. I wanted to become a motivational speaker and writer all of a sudden, and I pursued that purpose with all of my heart. Guess what! I found that path and began to thread therein. I paid my dues really well. People knew me for motivational write ups. Many garnered encouragement from many of my works. That was a credit, a flame to fire up my zeal. That was also a way of preaching the word, wasn't it? 

        

        

         

As if that wasn't enough, I began to run into posts where influential people encouraged up and coming influencers to monetize their various online activities, or at least, one. I began to dream to do same. By now I had totally lost the vision of ever preaching the gospel on Facebook because I couldn't be a motivational writer and a preacher of the gospel at the same time. What would happen to the Muslim friends on my list?  

                                 

             

          

                                                  

On and on, and on. It became more of the need to belong to the league of influencers than it was about holding on to my vision as a Christian. It become more of writing comics to attract traffic than it was about dispensary of the gospel of Christ. I saw it. I felt it. But there seemed to be no going back.

         

        

        

        

But you know what? God kept quiet and was waiting patiently. At some point He began to remind me consistently of the vision and mission He had given me. I kept resisting because I had my own lustful desires to accomplish. Even more was that I had an integrity to safeguard. I didn't want my followers to see me as a church boy. That singular act of refusal to come under the authoritative control of God's will and purpose for my life led me into very many things I will be sharing with you as at when due. 

       

      

  

Merciful as He is, God came in knocking on the door of my heart last year, reminding me of the need to return to the path on which he wanted me to thread. I was broken into several shreds of pieces. I promised Him I would take a U-turn. But the moment I came back to Facebook; same old story. 

      

     

       

He came again in December 2020 during the annual retreat of the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement held around the said time. I promised Him I would change. Still, when I came back to Facebook; same old story. 

       

   

Fast forward to April 2021, the spirit came on stronger than I could resist. It came reminding me of my agemates who loss their lives on daily basis. It reminded me of too many things, so much so that I could not help but bow my shameful face in humble repentance. I came out of April the same old man, having the same old story. 

        

        

        

       

Last month was a very tense one for me. I was battling between going back to the spot where I dropped the vision to carry it back upon my shoulders, and continuing in my defiance against God. I may not have had a physical fight with Him, but I know what it means to kick against the prick (a situation which Apostle Paul was unapologetically involved in before he encountered Jesus on his way to Damascus). 

        

           

         

And last week, after several checks and balances, God won the battle and pulled me over. I couldn't resist Him any longer. I couldn't even move my neck which was already beneath his arm because I knew it would snap, and I could have been a dead man. Glory always belongs to Him and Him alone. 

        

        

           

        

This is me confessing to every defiant soldier in the army of God out there. If you can see, read and comprehend, I want you to know that it is about time you stood your ground, knowing whom you've been created to be, what you've been created to fulfill. 

        

            

           

        

I'm sharing this with you because God is calling you back. I couldn't run for too long; I tried but failed. You cannot run for too long; you may try, but you'll surely fail. If you don't fail, death may be the end of the road. 

         

        

         

Remember Jonah? How far could he run? How far could he have ran? He thought he had escaped. He thought he was on his way to freedom. That journey onboard that ship from Joppa to Tarshish could have cost him his life. But God kept showing him mercy because God knew there was a force weighing him down. 

       

        

           

I'm not discouraging anyone from being influential neither am I saying one should not echo and monetize ones talent. God gave us talents to tread with and He also expects returns from us all (Matthew 25:14-30). But all I'm concerned with is that God be identified with whatever dream in our pursuits. 

          

           

           

Apostle Luke was a Doctor, yet he was an active disciple of Jesus Christ (the gospel of Luke being evidence). Jesus Himself was a carpenter, yet He was in active service unto God. Why then do we go about creating the impression that we are Christians and yet God doesn't reflect in the pictures we are painting? 

         

            

            

      

I will live you with this. If you know what God has called you to do, stick to it, develop yourself in that clime, horn same purpose, then return glory to God who gave you the vision in the first place. 

          

         

          

     

Social media is not the standard, it will never be. God's word is the standard. His will for your life is the standard. His purpose for your life is the standard. Yearn to be more, but only in the area He has called you. Filter out the noise, sift the necessity out of the gratification. 

           

           

           

Remember, you can't run for too long. You will fail, woefully even. Accept the calling, live true to it, and be proud of it. 

   

Shalom! 

. 

Michael Chidiebere Ituma

June, 2021.