This song by the Chicago Mass Choir entitled “I pray we’ll all be ready,” was in my head again this morning and I couldn’t understand why God was leading me this way, again, but of course I obeyed. Then I logged into Facebook to see some folk’s statuses and talked to some folk at work and then I knew exactly why God was leading me this way.
The song simply says:
I pray we’ll all be ready
I pray we’ll all be ready for his return
I pray that we’ll get our business straight
So we can all meet at the gate
I pray we’ll all be ready for his return
Every day folks are dying and it seems like the ages are getting younger and younger. Older people are starting to bury their children instead of children burying the parents, the way it’s supposed to be. Young girls find more stuff to argue over just because they want it to be known that they are bad and young boys are joining gangs and carrying weapons because they want to look hard in the midst of their peers but one thing I know, being bad and hard won’t stop you from going straight to hell. Who cares because folks say you’re being hard on your children because you won’t let them get in the car with everybody, spend the night over everybody’s house or even give them an early bedtime on school nights. I know that you can’t stop things from happening when they are out of your sight, but you can surely instill in them good morals that makes you want to believe they’ll carry themselves decent and in order at all times. We, as parents and adults, have to carry ourselves in a way that’ll teach the young girls and boys how to live right. We have to stop playing with God’s word in order for them to be fearful of God and the wrath that he can bring. We make it all seem easy like we don’t struggle but sometimes we have to let them know that we’re going through a storm just so they can see how God works. If all we show them is that things are easy as an adult, when they grow up and become one they’ll buckle and fall at the first sign of trouble. Now, I am not saying that your kids should be all in grown folk business but what I am saying is let them in on how God works. If they never see you sick then how will they know that God can heal? If they never see you go through anything, how will they know that God will bring you through? If they never see you struggle, then how can they appreciate when you have a little extra to spend on them?
We’ve got to get back to handling the kingdom’s business. As women, we’ve got to stop fighting over things that don’t belong to us because the only time you fight for something is when it’s yours. If he can’t put a ring on your finger to make you his wife, he isn’t worth fighting over because the bible says in Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” If she can’t claim you as hers in front of her friends, she isn’t worth arguing over because the bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:9, “For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake,” and If he or she can’t contribute to the household then they aren’t worth fighting over either. The bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” We’ve got so accustomed to folks being in our business that we now worry about what they have to say but baby, you can spend your tax money on whoever you want to because it’s yours. You can look foolish hanging on the arm of someone who doesn’t love you if you want, because it’s your business. But one thing I must say, YOU BETTER GET IT TOGETHER BEFORE YOUR TIME IS UP! We are spending way too much times on meaningless mess, foolish fighting, lavish lying, secret spying and blatant backstabbing than working God’s business. So many folks are dying and being killed when they are here at 2PM and gone at 2AM. It’s time out for playing church. Matthew 11:15-19 (Message Bible), God asks, “Are you listening to me? Really listening? How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” I wonder if God walked into service with most of us on Sunday, will he say we are like children playing church. We are raising teenagers who can’t even pray because we’ve never taught them how. We are teaching kids that it’s ok to play around with your cellphone during worship service, because most times we are playing with ours. We got hell in us all week and then are the first ones shouting when Jesus’ name is shouted. You gossip all day Saturday about the “church folk” and then get to church and tell your neighbor that you love them and they can’t do a thing about it. You tipping on Friday night to the motels and clubs and then is the loudest one singing, I love the Lord, he heard my cry! Baby, God isn’t in the midst of your mess! 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (Message Bible) says “Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” The only way for you to live a Godly life, you have to read God’s word. How do you know if you’re being led astray by the Pastor if you don’t know the word for yourself?
Women, stop being a doormat! Be a worthy women, one that’s worthy of what God has blessed you with, so that your daughter will know how to be one. Proverbs 31:10 says, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Stop lowering your self worth when God has made you worthy of so much more. Men, be the man God talks about in the bible (a provider, protector, lover one that is worthy of his calling) so that the son you’re raising can be one too. Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Be the sister, brother, mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin and friend that you are supposed to be. Live the life that is pleasing to folks so that no one has to stand over your casket and lie about you being a good person. The life you live is the funeral that you’ll one day have. Live a life that is pleasing to others so that a sinner may see the God in you because sometimes the closest they get to God is through you. I pray that we all be ready when our time comes and even though God promised us 70 and even 80 years, we sometimes don’t make it. You may not have tomorrow to get it right, so start right now!
Lakisha, the Author 
Amen