'Hope you're coming to Church tomorrow?' I asked Tina when we got to street 09, where she drops me off every day, after work.
I live on Street 10.
'What do we have in Church tomorrow?'
'You don't remember?' I said removing my eyeglass, and with the tip of my shirt, I cleaned the eyeglass.
She raised her brows.
She probably wouldn't be asking if she knew.
Sighing, I said, 'Okay, I have some chores to be done in Church so I thought you should too'.
'No, I don't'.
'Babe, when are you going to start working for God?'
'Lizzy', shaking her head, 'because you are not aware of the work I do doesn't make me not work for God'.
'Ehn, why hide to do God's work? You're ashamed of Him?'
'I don't hide mine. You know why the Church' toilet is always neat, you know who pays the most tithes and offering in Church, you know I give to those in need...' I kept blabbing.
'Really? Lizzy, really?' She just keeps raising her eyebrows at me.
What?'
'I have to go but I will leave you with something,
'Continue'
'Jesus used a parable of two men who went to the temple to pray in Luke 18, verse 10 to 14',
'Ehen?',
'You remind me so much of the Pharisee'.
Upon hearing that, I turned fully so I could face her, 'So Tina, you're indirectly telling me that I'm proud?', she started to say something, 'No wait, because I'm working for God now, I'm proud?'.
She sighed, 'you're not getting what I'm trying to tell you,
'No, I'm not'
'I do have to go now Lizzy, just go meditate on everything; from your life to Faith to relationship'.
'Hmm, Tina! Me? Okay, I hear you oh!'
Opening the door of the car and slamming it, I went out of the car fuming.
Can you imagine Tina comparing me with the Pharisee in Luke 18?
The proud man?
**
I opened the door to my self-contained home.
Not up to five minutes of my relaxing on the couch, I heard my phone ringing.
'Hello, Dad!'
'Good evening sir'
'Oh, okay, should be with you by5 pm tomorrow'
'Can't wait to see you too. Bye!'
**
'Lizzy, what is bothering you?' He looked worriedly at me.
'Nothing to worry about Dad, it's just that since Tina compared me with the Pharisee in Luke 18, I have been restless'.
He looked confused so I explained everything to him.
'Oh'
'Yes Dad, and I can never be like the Pharisee. He's too proud and senseless. He never was justified anyway. God justified the tax collector instead',
'Why was that?'
'Because the Pharisee was too public about his prayers and deeds,'
'Can you repeat .that?'
'I said because he was too public...'
I stopped when I realize what I was saying.
Dad raised his brow as if to ask if I'm getting it.
'You know the most important thing is not even the works you do; the most important is your relationship with God,
'If you don't have a relationship with God, these works are useless. Because all you do will just be like a bad smell, which will never be accepted by God,
'Once upon a time, Cain and Abel both worked for God by making sacrifices which only Abel's was accepted and not Cain's. It practically means that all Cain wanted was to just work for God and not walk with God'.
'Hmmmmmm', I said with so much realization.
It's like a heavy stone has been removed from my eyes.
'Never let the zeal of working for God overcloud the importance of walking with God' Dad continued.
💥💥💥
The most important part of the Christian lifestyle is not Service but Encounter.
You have to work for God, but then, allow Him to encounter you.
God's blessings 🤗.
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