The fact that a number of us look
to the world for mentoring is a sad reality. Many of us, despite that we are
believers, let the world set the pace for our lives and then try to fit our Christian
beliefs in that pace. A lot of us have borrowed culture from Hollywood “stars”,
a people made known by their vocation which often places them, in a manner of
speaking, “in our faces”. Enabled also by social media, we see them so much, we
think we know them and they have become the people we look up to. The problem
with this for believers is that we look up to them so much they help form our
thinking & culture because we begin to think and talk like them.
Unfortunately, Contrary to our belief, it is not possible to look to them so
hard and still look to Jesus as we should. Moreover, it is only natural to
become like what you admire and most of them are unbelievers who don’t have
access like we do to sacred information.
2 Corinthians 3: 18 “So all of us who have had that veil removed can
see and reflect the glory of the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more
like him as we changed into his glorious image.”
Joshua 24: 15 “choose today whom you will serve.”
So we love Jesus but we also love
“the life of the “stars” which is most often unreal. This may not have been a
problem but for the fact that we admire them so much, we are unable to focus on
Jesus as we should. We gaze on them adoringly; idolizing them. So, they influence
our mindsets to the point where we lose the “Jesus mindset” and return to the mindset
we were saved from. Sadly, we don’t really appreciate the “born again stars”. We
love Jesus Christ and enjoy serving Him; we believe we look to Him when in
reality, we don’t. Our general perception of life is shaped by the lifestyle of
these stars.
Hebrews 12: 1b – 2aKJV “… and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
Contrary to the belief of some
believers, their lifestyle is not without its cost. If we accept the culture, we
must pay the price too. It is only natural to suffer similar consequences if we
make similar decisions. If you plant cassava, you won’t harvest oranges except
God works a wonder; which He can, but He already told us the wise thing to do
which is to plant what you desire to harvest. We also can’t live the borrowed
“star” life even when it contradicts God’s word and expect bible result. Indeed
some of the things we see about them are a mirage; like most people, they also
‘put their best foot forward’. So we take on extra burden measuring our lives
against an illusion and ourselves against people. The end is misery.
Galatians 6: 7 “Don’t be misled … You will always harvest what you
plant.”
One the things we learnt from
this borrowed culture which has the potential to impact mental health and ruin
generations, is the “mini-me” idea. Believers, more than others, should know
that no two persons are exactly alike, not even parent and child. Though we all
are mad in God’s image, He made each person wonderfully and very special so
that we may ultimately, “display His many-sided wisdom”. We all must be allowed
to express our individuality within the limits of our God given liberty and as inspired
by God’s word. Whilst it is true that some children look exactly like a parent,
they are not the parent. Indeed, some children referred to as “mini-me” have
grown up looking a lot different from the parent who refuses to accept this
truth. Please think, when did it start to matter whether or not they look just
like you? I have met people who could be mistaken for me who have no blood ties
with me.
Psalm 139 “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your
workmanship is marvelous-how well I
know it.”
It is even worse when the parent tries
to, directly or indirectly, manipulate the child’s response to life or
circumstances so that they make decisions they would have made just so that
people can say they are really alike. In doing so, they unwittingly truncate
the child’s destiny or make it more difficult for the child to be who God made
them because they make two personalities in one person; one is who they want
the child to be and the other is who the child is. This is especially worse for
children who are desperate to please; a good trait the parent exploits. It is
not fair to the child and can cause self-esteem issues. It’s almost as though they
question God’s choice of who the child should be. Your child is not you and has
a destiny to fulfill which they need to be real to do. You don’t have the power
to re-create; you are not God.
Colossians 2: 9 “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human
body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head
over every ruler and authority.
These parents really desire to
perpetuate themselves through the child. Some decisions they instigate the children
to make have terrible consequences but they are so deceived they erroneously believe
they can manipulate the consequences. Many young people are suffering for this
kind of “abuse”. The “mini-me” thing is not a God thing and the long term
effect of it is devastating. It is time to rethink some of these things we borrow
from the world especially in the face of the challenges young people face.
Parents, as custodians working with God to ensure children accomplish their God
pre planned purpose, must resist the temptation to attempt to recreate a child.
