I had to break my silence. Because it breaks my heart into pieces. Now I know how Paul must’ve felt when he addressed the problems of the early church in Corinth. (Reference: 1 and 2 Corinthians)

It pains me to see fellow believers breaking away from their faith. A couple of days ago, my Facebook newsfeed was flooded with hate posts including some Christian friends calling out names on other people, deleting friends on their list, and cursing downright at the current government and certain government officials.

Sadly, it is not COVID-19 that is making me sick. It is seeing these situations unfold right before my eyes that make me cry my heart out to the Lord. When the people involved are believers and Christians most especially, all the more painful.

I know they are victims, too, by evil forces that we don’t see. That is why I just vented my sentiments here on my blog so I won’t offend anyone because I value every relationship I have in my social network. I intend on keeping it that way forever. But I just want to ask this:

Have we lost everything that is Christlike in us? Where are the fruits of the Spirit? Whatever happened to God’s greatest commandment of loving one another just like how He loved us?

This is the Bible verse in the new shampoo bottle that hubby bought just last week. It came in very timely. And I know it is God calling us out to be who we really are. He knows the church will go through this.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” – John 13:34

I was hoping more from Christians to behave otherwise because we have a greater calling to be the salt and light of the world. We already have an idea of who God is and how Christianity works – discipleship, fellowship, personal relationship with God, etc.

Personally, I felt like I have failed in reminding those in my social network how to respond as a Christian in a time like this. It crushes my soul that they have forgotten all the wisdom found in the Bible – the very promise of God.

It hurts me even more knowing that I can only pray for them, and that if they won’t seek God’s forgiveness and instructions, we already have a picture what will happen next. The punishment is greater for those who already know Christ, and yet chose to disobey.

How could we forget so easily? How could we succumb to the temptations of the enemy and this world so easily?

I posted Bible verses on Facebook as a reminder to go back to God before it’s too late – to seek Him first before anything else. And yet, I, too, became a victim of this persecution and was called too complacent. That I don’t care at all for those who are most affected with this crisis (the weak and the poor) because they think I am rich, which I am not.

What’s worse is that I was blamed for being a Christian and that I was using Bible verses to make people hate God even more. I believe this is the part where we can see divisions in the church – when some of us choose to believe selected Bible verses only for a particular situation without taking the entirety of Scripture into consideration. And this is exactly what the enemy wants, to create dissensions among believers.

How come we were judged easily not knowing what my husband and I went through for the past years? My husband and I had to endure months to years of living from paycheck to paycheck.

We literally used coins to buy our daily meals making sure we won’t go out of the budget by spending 100 pesos a day only for 3 meals. We also lived in a tiny room that measures 12 feet x 6 feet and the kitchen, comfort room, dining area, and bedroom were all in there. We started out with no beds or mattresses except for sleeping bags, no dining table and chairs, and no refrigerator.

Our families may be well-off, but I told my husband that we need to learn to rely on God first when it comes to our needs and refrain from asking other people for help. So yes, when it comes to worldly poverty, we know how it felt. I know how it felt to be really in need owning nothing else but the clothes on my body because we experienced it firsthand.

And yet true enough, God helped us get through that ordeal. He blessed us in so many unexpected ways with more than what we have prayed for. Were there times that my husband and I cried (literally and figuratively) out to God? Yes, A LOT of times.

My husband once cried in the comfort room of his workplace while sharing to me about God’s favor over the phone. I cried, too, when my husband was asleep and while praying to God. And there were more of these times that we sure felt we’re undeserving and yet God provided still.

But instead of cursing God for putting us in that predicament, we praised Him even more and became closer to Him every single day. I believe this is the problem now. And this is the greatest test of faith that Christians need to endure.

To never lose sight of who God is when tough times become even tougher, when problems seem never-ending, when solutions just seem impossible, and when the future just seems 100% uncertain.

I once shared to my husband that even if it is a matter of life and death, we must not turn our backs on God and our calling as a Christian. That was how men of great faith in the Bible earned God’s favor. By staying true to their commitment even if it means giving up their lives for Him i. e. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego; Daniel and the Lions; David and Goliath, etc.

When we are stretched to our limits and when we feel like being “burned” alive and we become impatient waiting for God’s answers, do we resort to solving things out on our own and depend once again on self-sufficiency instead on God?

I am praying this isn’t our mindset because it has already been written in the Bible that more of these problems will come – Luke 24 (Jesus Speaks About The Future). And I believe they will be more difficult, more heart-wrenching, and even more life-threatening.

We must not give in to this world. Not now, most especially for the Christians. The world needs us. This is the mission that God has set for each one of us to accomplish so we can be blameless when Jesus finally comes.

I encourage believers to share the Bible verses as is on social media instead of voicing out our sentiments. They are the exact words of God, thus, they have the authority to rebuke, remind, and encourage. What the world needs now is what God has to say and not really what each one of us has to say personally. “Less talk, fewer mistakes,” as they say.

If what we say is not in light of the Scripture, then, there is a higher chance of us saying the wrong things or being misinterpreted. If people still chose to persecute us for sharing Bible verses during a crisis, then they are going against the Word of God and not us per se. It is God, then, who has the authority to judge them and not us when the right time comes.

Help comes from God and God alone, and the government or other people are only instruments of those blessings. Help always comes. And yet this will all happen according to God’s will and according to God’s timeline.

The only problem is we don’t have enough faith to trust God completely that He will provide us with everything that we need may it be eternal salvation or material needs. Thus, we become desperate for answers and solutions.

How much of God do we really believe in when we call Him out as God, our Father? How much of what Jesus has done on the Cross will be enough for us to believe that He indeed came here to save this world and all the people in it?

I am currently on Facebook hibernation as part of my Holy Week fasting. My heart bleeds seeing this situation happen during Holy Week. My heart breaks that the Lord’s Name is being used in vain, exactly during the time when we’re supposed to be glorifying Him.

I am praying that during the Holy Week, God’s people will take it into their hearts what really happened on the Cross how many centuries ago. I pray that we will all have a moment of reflection and refresh the time when we were saved. I pray that after this week and in the coming months and years, believers will rise up to their calling as followers of Christ and bring victory to God’s name no matter the circumstance.

Being a Christian is hard, but that is part of our identity as Christ’s followers. And this is just one of the extreme tests of faith for all believers. I pray we all open our eyes and defeat the attempt of the enemy to deceive, which has already blinded some of our fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.

We are more than conquerors in Christ. His blood is in each one of us. Let’s listen to the Spirit. Let’s devote our time to the reading of Scripture more than ever. And lastly, let’s continue praying that the body of Christ will all be united in defeating all the attacks of the enemy.

Praying for God’s mercy to be upon us all,