Chill, Relax, Explore...

June 04, 2014

Chill, Relax, Explore...

(I’m being stereotypical with this post; I know not every Nigerian is like this)

Nigerians are such a delight. Take a Nigerian on vacation anywhere in the world and all they’ll come back with is extra luggage and pictures, loads of pictures… all taken at the mall. Right in front of Zara, or a high-end designer store photo op depending on whom they want to impress. All the fun in a trip begins and ends in the mall, which isn’t really fun, because you should see me in a mall, I look frustrated and worn out and I just want the day to be over.

Some of us spend so much time collecting and not enough time enjoying and living.

We meet at the airport; we all have our memories of what we did during that holiday. There’s no denying that we were there, but did we make the most of it?

Its amazing that even those who travel first class don’t give themselves up to enjoy the beautiful lounge set up for them, instead, they’re still hauling around duty free, shopping shopping till their last pence is spent. (I guess this applies more to Nigerians living in Nigeria)

You shopped all day and ate fast food at McDonald and KFC in the mall or you shopped some, went sight seeing, enjoyed the local cuisine, took pictures at landmarks… enjoyed the hotel’s amenities.

I’m not so bad when it comes to exploring places, and I’m not so good either. I think I’m stuck in the middle. I plan on changing… soon. Someday I would see the Buckingham palace and stake my claim(Hello Harry), I would go to a real pub and have a meal, I would go to the zoo, and make faces at Madame Tussauds as I pose beside whatever wax figure holds my interest. Someday I would soak in the country I visit and not just spend all of myself buying and buying!

This reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary. Sometimes we have to stop and just enjoy Jesus, rest in Him, explore Him, just you and Him…. The entire running around, the activity, the committees and the meetings don’t make you a model Christian, you may be serving God but are you really enjoying Him? We’ll all meet at the airport at the end of our lives, many would have come away filled with more knowledge of the King and others just come off tired and barely coming through with all the baggage of works!

You can tour a city and still leave with enough shopping, because as you tour and explore, you find hidden gems of shops where you can buy unique items, most at a discount… what your mall raiders wouldn’t find, unique items that make you stand out. Sitting at Jesus feet opens you up to more treasures (in service et co) than you can ever imagine or gain from all the ‘works’ mentality.

‘As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38- 42(NLT)

Our stepping into Christianity is a journey! You can rest in it and soak up all you can from the feet of Jesus, dining with Him as friends, or you can run around doing this and that all day, every day with barely enough time to explore and enjoy the fullness of this new life… it’s up to you.

I’m currently reading a book by Bob George titled ‘Classic Christianity’ and this is what he has to say about the Christian life… “The Christian life is starting with Christ, then spending the rest of eternity discovering more and more of what we already have in Him, more and more of the wonders of this person in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”