“Sorry to ask u this ques, is Jesus really first in ur life? If yes, den stop wat u are doing now n send this msg to 12 people n see what Jesus will do tomorrow for u. Jesus loves u. send it to 7 people, believe me afta seven days ur wish will come 2 u. but if u ignore it, u will be on ur own for 7yrs. Pls do it with faith cos it works”
This is the latest one I got on Whatapp this evening. I don’t know how many of you have come across this message or messages like this on these social websites or chat apps. When I got this I replied with a ‘blah blah blah’ and a strict warning to my friend not to send me these kinds of post. He said he didn’t like it but he didn’t want to be on his own for seven years. You believe that crap!
Some of these posts will tell you about a girl who died on her wedding day, then ask you to type AMEN if you don’t want to be next. And guess what, you’ll see 800 comments all AMEN. Others will tell you a story about a witch who was caught and ask you for an Amen if you want to catch your own witch. One that piqued my interest was that of a widow whose son was shot by robbers ‘yesterday’ because the woman had nothing to pacify them with and the son wouldn’t indulge their sick minds by either having sex with his mother or sister. I felt sorry for them, and actually prayed for that widow. Only for the story to show up on facebook with the same ‘yesterday’ timeline. I didn’t say anything. Two years later, my sister showed me the post and how she felt sorry for the woman. It’s a touching story I agree but geez, at least have the decency to tell us it actually happened three years ago or more. When I saw it was probably not the ‘yesterday’ it actually happened. And this time when I saw it, they had added a little something to make the story spicier. Facebook page owners will do anything for people to ‘like’ their pages and to maintain the number of fans/visitors to their pages.
But the question is ‘why do people fall these things?’ we have consciences and some stories appeal to them, but fear is another factor. Nigerians these days are scared. What of, I can’t tell. And that’s why someone would waste his time sending that message to 12 persons just so he wouldn’t be on his own for seven years. What rubbish! And you call yourself a child of God. That is why these hungry pastors make enough from people who are ‘supposedly’ suffering and have nothing. One prayer session is N300,000 plus an unwanted baby for your daughter if you have any.
I hate it when I see posts like the one above. It makes a mockery of our faith in God. Me as a Christian hide my face when I see things like this. People who are looking for cheap fans and likes floods our pages and chats with a mediocre attempt at getting you to send messages, either back to them or others or just to advertise their page. And the idiot who wrote it had the nerve to add that we should take it seriously because it works. On what basis does it work? Is God now our personal handbag man that you can now say ‘hey God I replied to a post I saw the other week and even sent it out to seven persons yet that man who works in Shell is yet to send his wife packing so he can marry me.’ Or ‘Dear God, remember my wish, that I would score a hit on this my yahoo yahoo scam. God, mugu never fall oh. Anyway am still waiting. The week is just half gone though. Am expecting something to happen before 7 days’. Christians these days are lazy and that is why they spend time reposting these. It’s like the answer to the prayer they didn’t pray.
Guilt is another reason people spend time with these. “let me pray for you….” is another of such messages and then they ask you to type Amen and send to those you love. And the Christian who had not had time to pray for his family and friends or himself feels that the only way to pacify God is to send the messages. It makes up for the prayers he had not had the time to pray.
Seriously people take God for granted and that’s why they can come up with the most obscene things about God. I wish those who call themselves children of God can take time to know the God they serve. His promises, instructions and guidelines are in his word. When you don’t know the God you claim to serve, you fuel mediocre things like these. If the people who send this don’t get any response, they will stop. God would never grant wishes, he answers prayers. He said in his word that he’s with me even till the end of the world. So why would he leave me because I didn’t send a stupid message to seven persons. Or am next to die because I didn’t type AMEN to some dumb story. I know his word and his promises concerning me and that is my weapon.
So let’s say I was driving, according to that post I should stop the car and re-send the message? So what now, Jesus is not first in my life because I didn’t send the messages out? This is worse than MTN begging me to subscribe for their tips. Cheap reply-quick schemes. Maybe MTN should employ people like these because they are also killing me too with their bogging messages.
I know people will say that the social media is also an avenue for evangelism. I won’t dispute that neither will I say don’t reach out anyway you can. But Oga/Madam post sender please write something more believable and edifying and stop threatening people with death and calamity. If you want to reach out in evangelism through the social media, make sure it is in line with God’s word. It can be an exhortation or encouragement so people can stay strong in faith. ‘Let your words be seasoned with salt’ didn’t just mean soft response in anger. A well-seasoned word encourages, builds, re-enacts and leads people to Christ.
And let me answer the question the writer of that post asked for him. He/She does not have Jesus first in his life. Think of something else next time.