The power of information

Information is knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance. It typically affects our actions, reactions, decisions etc. 

In Mark 5, a leader of the synagogue, Jairus, had a sick daughter on the verge of death and He sought out Jesus to come and heal her. His words were “my daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live.” There is a certainty in his words. You can tell that he believed that once Jesus touched his daughter all will be well. Jesus did go with him and while on their way, information was sent to the man that his daughter was dead. Immediately, Jesus turned to the man and said “Don’t be afraid. Just believe”. Why did Jesus say that to the man? And why did He do this immediately the information was communicated? One clear reason is that the man got news that his situation has gone from sickness to death. He had a bad situation before coming to Jesus and now, even with Jesus walking with him, it’s now gotten worse – in human terms ‘his situation is dead’. That was a fact. His daughter was dead and that meant there was no more hope. Recall that Heb 11:1 tells us that “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Jairus’s hope was however about to be dashed. The information provided was going to puncture his “balloon of faith” hence the prompt intervention by Jesus – “Don’t be afraid. Just believe”. Believe that you will see your daughter again. Isn’t that what Jairus hoped for? And what did Jairus do, he believed. How do I know? He saw what he hoped for. His daughter did come back to life. His dead situation resurrected. 

What can we take away from this story?

We need to watch who speaks into your life and the kind of information you allow take root in your heart – they could derail us from seeing the salvation we’ve prayed for.

Our actions should not be based solely on what we see or hear in the physical but on what God is saying to us per time through His word, in the place of fellowship with Him or through His servants. God is always speaking. Are we always tuned in?

As we filter every information through the lenses of Christ himself, all our dying or dead situations will come back to life.  

Stay connected,

Bolaji Ajayi

Ambassador

Ambassador: A diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by a sovereign state to another as its resident representative…’extract from free dictionary’.
2 Corinthians 5:20 – Therefore, we are ambassadors of Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us…; Gal 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me…; Col 3:3 – For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
So, what do all these mean for anyone who has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ?

  • The ‘You’ who once existed is no more. Your opinions, ideologies, concepts, culture, biases etc., I’m sorry but they just don’t count anymore. Why? You died and dead people don’t respond to stimuli so you shouldn’t react to things the same way you reacted to them before.
  • So if I’m dead, who is walking around? Christ. What counts now? What He thinks, feels, says, and does. His opinion, thought, ideology etc. So, just as the words and actions of an ambassador are taken as a representation of the nation he represents, so whatever you say or do is a representation of heaven – where your citizenship lies. (Phil 3:20).

Food for thought: Do my words and actions represent heaven; more specifically, do they represent Christ’s (‘the one who sent me’) words and actions? Am I really dead?