FOLLOWING GOD

Anthonia had always wanted to know where Chioma stayed. Today was a good day. Chioma had accused her of not knowing her hostel since they got accomodation on campus whereas Chioma visited Anthonia often.

Today was a good day. FELLOWSHIP didn’t take long so she had time. They walked all the way to the AguyiIronsi Hall in Memuda University. Chioma stayed in room C405. It was beautifully decorated. They even had a rug in their room.

‘You are highly welcome to our room. Finally, after begging and begging’. Chioma said as she dropped her bag and books on the bed. ‘Please take a seat’.

‘Thanks baby girl and I’m sorry.’ Anthonia responded.

‘Lemme make you something to eat. I’m making noodles tonight.’ Chioma said gleefully.

‘Chef Chioma. Abeg put plenty pepper o.’ Anthonia taunted.

‘That’s me. No wahala.’ Chioma answered as she stooped to bring out her stainless pot from the bottom compartment of her wardrobe.  ‘So, one of my resolutions this year is to get closer to God.’ She continued as she set the electric stove and switched it on. She set a pot of water on it.

“You know, build my relationship with God.” She continued. “I want to be better”.

“Oh okay, Anthonia responded. “That’s a good resolution.”

“And I know you are the best person that can help me with that.”

Anthonia laughs. ‘What makes you say so?’

‘Haba. Be forming there. We both know that your relationship with God is on point.’ She said while breaking a bar of noodles into the pot of boiling water.

‘I hear you. We are all work in progress.’ Anthonia fiddled with her phone. ‘By the way, I don’t think we are friends on Instagram. Can I have your Instagram handle?’ She said trying to change the topic.

‘That’s true o. Give me your phone.’ Anthonia hands her the phone while Chioma typed in her handle in the search tab. She hands Anthonia back her phone.

‘Wow. Only you have more than 2000 followers.’

‘Yes o.’

‘You follow Rihanna.’

“O yes. Bad girl riri.” Chioma said with a proud look.

‘And Kylie Jenner.’ Anthonia responded.

“Yes yes. Need to learn some business principles. That girl is the youngest billionaire. Not naira o. Dollars. What’s not to follow?” Chioma asked.

“Wow. That’s good to hear. A great mentor indeed. She must have worked hard for it.” Anthonia said as she scrolled through Chioma’s pictures on her Instagram page.

“Abi now. Me I follow sabi people. Chioma closes the lid of the pot and sits on the bed.”

“Is there any top celebrity you’re not following you this girl. Anthonia laughs.”

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“Hmm. I’m not sure. Except they’ve not given birth to that person.”

“That’s impressive.”

‘Ehen, I was asking you the other time about advancing my relationship with God.’

‘Oh. That’s true. And thank God the Holy Spirit, our lesson teacher has spoken.’

‘Hmm. Holy Spirit, our lesson teacher. I like the sound of that.’

‘Well, He is our lesson teacher. He has just taught us a lesson now. If you have the capacity and time to follow as many celebrities as this, then you can definitely create time to Follow God.’

Just then, her friend’s phone beeped. It was a post notification for Linda Ikeji’s blog instagram handle.

‘Hey!!! Tonto Dikeh and her husband are fighting again.’ Chioma said aloud and surprised.

‘May God deliver them. As I was saying, the same way you put on post notification, that’s the same way you should tune your spirit to Gods frequency. Have a Bible reading schedule and time.’

‘Hmmmm.’ Chioma was fixed.

‘See, in following God, we have to be intentional.  The same way you’re Intentional about following the billionaire Kardashian girl. If you are really serious about building your relationship with him, I think you should even follow people who will remind you of God.’ Anthonia added.

‘Hmmm’. Chioma was speechless. She knew Anthonia would tell her the truth unhindered. It was good to have friends like this.

‘The same way you know what’s trending from Linda Ikeji’s blog, you need to know what God is saying about the present time.’ Anthonia continued.

‘How?’ Chioma asked

‘By the Holy Spirit in the place of prayer. Ours is even better, the Holy Spirit can tell us of things to come.’ she answered.

‘Better than Linda Ikeji’s Blog.’ Chioma say with a look of Eureka on her face.

‘Exactly.’ Anthonia looked impressed. ‘So, I’m clicking on the FOLLOW button to follow you now. So you have one new follower adding up to 2997. Three more people to add up to 3000.’ Anthonia said boldly.

Chioma moved to serve the food on a plate as she put off the hot plate. She opened the pot and the room was filled with the scent of crayfish noodles. She wouldn’t be surprised if her next door neighbors came to knock to have a taste. She was a great cook and they attested to it.

“Let’s look for that Bible passage.” Anthonia said.

She typed in the words ‘FOLLOW ME’ on her Google search tab. She got a number of results.

‘Here it is. Luke chapter 5 verse 27-28. “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.”

‘I had to Google that. Did you see that? Jesus said FOLLOW ME. It is important we follow Jesus. Like we click the button and it doesn’t end there. The same way we log on to Instagram, we must log on to His frequency in prayer and reading the word to know what’s happening in his life.’

“Hmmm”, Chioma listened.

“How often do you log in to your Instagram account?”

“Well, everyday.”

“Okay?”

“Almost every hour every day.”

“Very good. That’s how often you must be in tune with God. As you log in almost every hour of the day to see what’s up with your favorite celebrity, so you must check up with God. God is more important to your existence than any celeb.”

The atmosphere in the room changed and they felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“This is deep truth Anthonia. I never heard it like this before. If I spend half the time I spend on social media following up to date gists in the world checking in with God, my relationship with God will take a new turn. Lord, help me to practice this.”

“Me too. I need to improve in so many ways.” Anthonia responded. “We all falter but God is a God of many chances. We must keep trying. But this formula works wonders.”

‘Above all, I think I need to have a rethink of these celebrities I follow. Sincerely, most of them do not stand for godly things but rather promote things that are opposite the words of God.”

“You are right.Most of them do not follow God. Why should we follow those who do not follow God”. Anthonia added. She could feel the Holy Spirit working on the heart of them both. “We, are to be the light of the world to them. Not the other way around.”

“Thank you my dear friend.” Chioma said gratefully. “I’ll make amends. I will unfollow some of these people and Follow God. Although not on Instagram as God is not on Instagram.”

They both laugh.

“Our food is getting cold. But first of all, shall we follow God in prayer?” Anthonia said.

Both ladies laugh.

“Dry joke girl”. Chioma responded laughing as they both bow their heads and hold hands in prayer with a new resolve to make their relationship with God better.

THE END

Do you follow God with the same intensity with which you follow your favorite celebrities? It’s a personal question I’ve also had to ask myself. And I made amends. I had to unfollow some. God doesn’t want anyone taking His glory. He is a jealous God.

As much as you’re allowed to have human models, it is important that we fix our eyes on the model that will have eternal impact on us. Let’s follow God as we should and watch our relationship with Him move to the next level.

Have you followed God today?

Written by Opeyeoluwa Lawal.
OPEYEOLUWA is a Christian writer who has been called to write to encourage people in times of weariness according to Isaiah 50:4. Ope, as she is fondly called loves God and His works. She loves to teach and she researches during her spare time. She is married to Olawale Perfect.

To see other posts and stories by Opeyeoluwa, you can follow her on Instagram via @opestarlawal.