A Note To Christian Writers.

We really need to do better.

Before putting out this article, I had two major reservation that I struggled with.

First, I had to wait for a while between getting the idea and writing because I NEEDED to be completely sure what my intentions for putting it out were.

Why do I want to make a post like this? What do I aim to achieve? Why am I putting it out now?

After pondering and pondering, and silently begging God to allow my heart be in the right place, I was able to establish my reason.

And it’s simple: I’m TIRED of the way many of us portray God, His Ways, and His Wisdom on this app.

I’m genuinely tired.

I’m tired of half-asses “defences” of God, I’m tired of personal opinions being presented as doctrine, I’m tired of theological ignorance, I’m tired of the Bible being used to justify ridiculous things, I’m tired of the real questions being avoided and dismissed with the same old religious notions…

I’m just tired of all these things, both online and offline.

As much as God loves us, I’m sure He’s not pleased with the way we handle and discuss matters and subjects that relate to Him.

He might appreciate the genuine effort and desire, but deep down, I’m sure He wishes we would do better.

On the surface level, I’m pleased to see people stand up to defend the gospel and the nature of God anytime it’s questioned or misinterpreted, and I know a few writers who do this exceptionally well.

However, it’s also displeasing to see people try to “defend” God and end up failing miserably or having their defense shredded into pieces.

It’s a painful sight to see.

So, that’s my intention for writing this article, it’s an appeal or a plea or a demand - whatever term you want to use - to Christian writers on Substack, and all I’m saying is that:

We need to do BETTER.

That’s it. I’ll expand more in the article.

I’d be hypocritical if I don’t admit that I’ve not really been playing my part too.

I got this burden months ago, and it led me to create the @countercultural1 Newsletter.

The objective of Counter Cultural was simply to write articles that display and reveal the multi-dimensional wisdom of God, free from overly cultural and religious biases and adulterations.

However, I’ve not been active enough on it as I should’ve, despite having so many unwritten and uncompleted drafts.

This is an admission to sluggishness on my part, and I will try by best, by the special grace of God, to do better in the coming weeks.

If I’m going to address the topic of this article, then I can at least go further in my action by being the change I want to see and taking the lead.

Take this as your cue to subscribe to Counter Cultural-

My second reservation was that I honestly dreaded being misunderstood.

Now, as much as I try to deliver my perspectives through simple and easy to understand articles, there’s still that off chance that someone somewhere will miss my entire point and make their own deductions.

That’s fine by me, and I honestly don’t see it as my problem.

However, when writing on occasionally sensitive topics like religion, and considering the fact that the overall goal is to educate and inform, I’m inclined (and even obligated) to go a step further to ensure that there’s no room for misinterpretation.

That being said, I just want to make it LOUD and CLEAR that this post is not a call for Christian writers or writers who are followers of Christ to keep quiet or to stop writing or to stop speaking on issues.

So before you tag me as an “enemy of the gospel” or repeat the same quoted lines of “God’s word doesn’t bend, so we mustn’t bend” or “We must speak the truth even when it’s harsh” - I want you to know that I’m on your side.

As long as your side is the genuine message of God delivered with truthful accuracy and compassion, free from personal biases and religious/cultural adulterations.

If that’s your desire to, then you’ll understand the true message of this article by the time you’re done with it.

And if you’re on any other side and you choose to get offended, that’s no longer on me.

That being said, let get into it.

By the way, this post is primarily written for CHRISTIAN writers, so I’m going to be speaking at the level of knowledge that I believe every born-again child of God must have attained after a basic level of discipleship.

If you flow with me, amazing. If you don’t, then try to pick up as much as you can, and remember that we’re all still growing and learning.

Final Note - When I say “Christian Writers” I don’t only mean writers who put out Christian content, but also Christians in general who writer or speak about the gospel in any way, manner, or form.

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You don’t have to speak on every issue.

God is supreme and powerful, and as much as He wants His ways established on Earth, He’s not looking for cheap publicity or mediocre promotion. You don’t have to force him into everything.

There were many times people tried to bait Jesus into responses and trick him into saying certain things, and he always knew when to respond with silence or the wise response to give. If Jesus didn’t feel the need to address every stray comment or opinion, then why do you? why do we?

And before you counter me with the fact that Jesus was always active to correct wrongs and call out errors, I’m not saying we should never speak out in things.

Of course, we should, in fact, we MUST, because it’s part of our obligations as kingdom ambassadors.

however even when we must speak, you must be discerning enough to know how to approach matters with wisdom, emotional maturity, and the right amount of compassion.

Even very important because some mischievous people will try to twist your words or manipulate you into saying things.

Yes, like Jesus, we must not bend the truth, however as harsh as it might sound, or how much it might offend people, but we must also do it in a manner that doesn’t condemn or segregate us from the people who need the things we’re saying.

This applies to all topics that cover huma endeavour but also particularly to some sensitive topics that come up more often than others.

Topics such as: marriage, abortion, homosexuality, eternity, raising a family, tithing, doctrines of all kinds, etc.

whatever the discussion of the day is, and whether you’re writing and article on it or sending a reply to an article , we must ensure that our responses are not designed to drag anybody down, even if the words used are critical.

I prefer a direct and blunt style of rebuttal, more often than not, so I try my best to always ensure that I don’t cross that line between critical and condemnation.

This balance is very important, and it brings me nicely to my next question, which is: do you even know or understand what you’re writing about.

Before all this, you must even know WHY you want to speak on a topic?

Is it because it’s trending or because you have a genuine desire to share what you’ve learnt or because you just “had a vibe”, either you need to have a strong why.

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It’s sad to say this but many Christians have no proper knowledge of many things they discuss.

Either their understanding of a topic is too shallow, or they have only second-hand about a subject, or their argument is heavily riddled with inconsistencies, or they just struggle with the articulation and presentation of their points.

I’ve seen all this in play, and it’s always painful to witness.

I get second hand embarrassment when I see someone make a “Christian” post, and they’re getting cooked in the comments or in the tweet replies because of the ridiculousness of whatever they said.

It’s one thing to commiserate with a brother that’s getting heat for speaking an unpopular but scripturally supported truth, and it’s another thing to be ashamed for a brother that’s getting heat for saying utter nonsense in the name of God and the Bible.

That’s why I’m saying, before we speak on any issue of any kind, we must ensure that we have enough knowledge and understanding about it.

And this applies to topics across all spheres of life.

It’s ill—advised for anybody to enter a debate, argument, or specific conversation without a substantial theoretical, experiential, or practical knowledge about the topic.

Matters of the kingdom and the gospel notwithstanding.

A doctor needs at least 8 years of medical training before he can talk to you about diagnosing your illness. A lawyer needs at least 5 years of legal training before he can speak to you about defending your rights.

So, why do you think you can speak on the Biblical topics without doing your due diligence through studying, meditation, and listening to sermons?

Let’s not fall into the trap of encouraging mediocrity in matters that relate to our faith.

Doing this is the reason we have many ignorant preachers, fake pastors, and doctrinally flawed ministries around the world.

I understand that we can use the same black and white template of secular knowledge in Christianity, because of the key differential factor which is personal revelation by the Holy Spirit.

However, the Bible remains the litmus test for all forms of doctrines and opinions, therefore, it’s up to us to ensure that we well-versed in certain topics pertaining to it, before we speak about them in public.

This will save us the shame of being embarrassed and mitigate the risk of imparting the wrong knowledge into a rightly curious soul.

Of course, none of us can ever really know EVERYTHING, and since we’re all learning time and time again, it’s the normal process of growth for us to make errors.

However, if we’re going to be openly giving opinions, we must make sure that we have the right knowledge.

You don’t have to have every scripture crammed, or understand every chapter, or know all form of theology - that’s not the point.

The point is that you NEVER EVER give an opinion or outright claim about something you don’t really understand, and also, that you never relent in your quest to know more.

Read the Bible regularly, study it, in fact, same way you’d study a textbook. Read books. Listen to teachings. Take notes. Ask questions, even the difficult ones.

These are the ways we grow in wisdom and understanding, and we ensure that we’re always ready to give a proper and suitable answer whenever our faith is questioned.

The truth is that even if people don’t agree with what you’re saying, they can always tell when you’re speaking from conviction and not just for the sake of speaking.

So, even if, they don’t believe in God or in the Bible, they will at least leave with the fact that you’re knowledgeable about what you’re saying.

That, to me, is better than getting called out in a conversation and ending up embarrassed because you yourself don’t understand the points you’re making.

And, finally, it’s also not a crime to not know things, and to not have the answers that someone needs, or that you yourself need.

Saying “I honestly don’t know, at the moment” or “I don’t have enough knowledge about that topic yet”, is 100x better than replying in a bid to save face snd getting caught out.

Yes, people might laugh at you and question the authenticity of your faith, but remember that it’s belief in Jesus that saved you, not your wisdom.

Now that you’re saved, it’s just up to you to ensure that you’re learning the right things and knowing the right things, per time.

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Jesus is hated

There will always be opposition

Like I said, tbis is not a call to withdrawal

We have to speak

And to keep speaking

The wisdom of the church sustained the world for a long time

And it’s clear that if the world was aligned to the principles of God, itll be a much better place than ut is tofsy

So ss light and salt , we can’t stop shining and sweetening, but we must ensure that we do it in the rught manner

Not in a manner that’s overly conformist but also not repulsing to the people we are trying to reach.

Also,please let’s explore different topics to write anout, not everytime marriage and abortion and homosexuality, olease.

The wisdom of God is too vast and too deep for us to limit it to the same old things everytime

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