Background, Environment And Self

One Evangelist Adeola Adesomi of Christ Apostolic Church WOSEM, Manchester recently maintained in her exhortation to a group of conference delegates in Bergamo, Italy that background, environment and self often act as objects of hindrance to people’s success and achievements. In her conclusion however, she offered affirmatively that Jesus Christ is able to remove those objects of hindrance if one would surrender one’s life to Him.

Citing Jephthah in the book of Judges 11 as an example, Evangelist Adesomi noted that, “as much as Jephthah wanted to do great things in life, his background hindered him.” The reality of his background is that he was the son of harlot. The bible records, “Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; …“For this reason, his siblings drove him out and told him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.”” Though Jephthah had no control over the person who would give birth to him, yet he suffered for his background. Being born by a harlot prevented him from enjoy the comfort of his own family home or the pride of living in his own country. He was prevented from enjoy the comfort and love from his family members. Are you a victim of a background that you have no control over? Have you left your country, home and comfort zone due of wars, family harassment and various economic situations that you have no control over? You may even be a person who feels exiled in your own home, though you are not physically displaced? Whatever your case may be, I present to you Jesus Christ, the Lord who delivers and restores.

The good news is that although Jephthah fled from his brothers and worthless men banded together with him, he was later restored to be the leader of that same family that once rejected and prevented him from having access to his family inheritance. There is hope for you to be celebrated again, even by the same people who once looked down on you.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was another man (Mark 6: 1-5) of valor, but people labeled Him the “son of a carpenter” and started to disrepute Him. For this reason, Jesus could not do many miracles there.

Glory be to God however, whatever people may say about you must not hinder you from excelling. Jephthah was later returned and Jesus accomplished His goal of saving you and me. Therefore you also can become an achiever, regardless of the background that serves as a label against you.

Secondly, one’s environment could serve as a object of hindrance. One may be ready and eager to preach the gospel, but the law of the land may not allow the truth to be spoken. Paul wanted to eagerly preach the gospel but adversities arose against him (1 Cor. 15:1); Anti-progress people and circumstances hindered him. Yes, adversities arise because you he was a light in the midst of darkness, but Paul did not allow himself to be hindered (Acts 19:1,8-9, 22-29). He still went to speak boldly in Synagogues, despite riots and haters. Do not allow your environment to destroy your zeal for God.

Finally, a person can be the object of hindrance to self. One’s background and environmental hindrances are much easier to overcome, but the harder one is self. Paul would say to himself,

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:15-25 NKJV).