THE CHURCH GIRL

I won the hard copy of The Church Girl from a giveaway by the author via Okadabooks in November and yet it made it to the list of the books I loved reading in 2018. That should imply that it stroke the right reading pleasure chords. It is a beautifully written fiction by Ufuomaee mainly about Mary and Ifeanyi.

More importantly, before sharing about the book; as a Christian growing in love with books, remember that the Word of God is the best guide for you. You may learn from authors but what your Bible says is superior, so God’s opinion over yours or the author.

Have you ever wondered about the responsibility attached to this love that you so easily profess?
Sure, the challenges to the love between Mary and Ifeanyi might have been an extreme scenario compared to what is common but the possibility of its reality would leave you thinking about the work involved in loving someone.

You are aware, as a believer, that you are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven you; Love others as Christ loves you. It doesn’t seem exactly impossible until it’s about your spouse’s infidelity and you have to live what you believe. Then you are tempted to interpret the instructions from your Bible to justify your decision to do otherwise.

Besides the several scenarios that force you to assess your commitment to the Word of God regardless of your emotions, there are other lessons from my reading.

On matters on love:

→ Love is beyond emotions. The God way of love is beautiful. The kind of love Christ has for the church is possible.
1 Corinthians 13 helps with an idea of what love should be and more importantly, the kind of love God has for you shows you what love really is.

→ Spiritual intimacy is the best bedrock for other forms of intimacy between lovers.

→ You must find satisfaction in God, nothing else will be able to fill that void, not even the greatest human lover can meet that need. Your love for God should be beyond your love for your partner. Your partner cannot play the position of God in your life; it is an impossible role for that person to fit.

→ Love, as God loves you. Forgive, as God has forgiven you. Love is your new nature in Christ so you can love the God way.

→ Emotions are not reliable when challenges occur or when you need to make decisions, you need an anchor that is dependable: Christ in you.

→ You are not married until you are married. Honouring God with your body benefits you. Premature physical intimacy clouds your judgment.

On Christian living and other matters:

→ Your obedience to God or faith in God is not just about you, many others benefit from it.

→ You always have a choice regardless of the situation; a difficult right choice is still a choice.

→ As a believer, willing to be led by His Spirit in you, you can’t end up wrong. God’s Word is available to guide you.

→ Trust God’s timing; it may seem to be “too long” but He knows best always.

→ A new man in Christ results in new desires and a new lifestyle of pleasing God, not your self.

→ When in a compromising or an unpleasant situation, speaking up is a good first step. There will be someone trustworthy to help you and God will lead you to that person if you are willing and would ask Him.

God Forgives. God loves you.

You would enjoy reading The Church Girl. You can get the E-book on Okadabooks or find information on getting the hard copy from Ufuomaee’s blog.

What do you think about these lessons? Are there interpretations from the Bible that are subjective depending on the situation? Do you honour God’s Word above your experience or culture?

Let me know your thoughts in the comment.

Thank you!