True Christianity!

I had this wonderful hair stylist who knew what
to do with my thick kinky hair. She is the type
they call, 'hair dresser' (in my Yoruba voice). Her
veranda served as her shop and her hair tools
weren't more than a set of comb, a small
container of 'ori', ilarun and there was a paper
containing pictures of different kiko styles and
African weaves glued to the wall.
As we chatted and laughed, suddenly I heard a
woman shouting at the top of her voice few
houses away. I remembered that people went
about their activities without rushing there to do
the tatafo thing. Then I heard that she was a
thorn in the flesh of her neigbours and had
quarreled with almost every occupant in the
house...including the landlady.
Afterwards when I walked down the street, I took
a quick glance at the house, my eyes widened
when I saw the supposed trouble maker. How
can an S.U be doing this?
Weeks later, I met her at a gathering, dressed in
one long something like that, the neck of her
blouse raised to high heavens and for some
seconds I just stood and stared at the gentle,
sisterly face. I tried to fit in the two personalities
into one body.
It is very clear to me now and I must not be
moved by the outward, mine is not even an
exception.
Long skirts, fat Bibles, turtle neck dresses, long
powerful facebook post, participating in a 70 day
fast, raising hands to heaven and speaking in
tongues, standing on the podium and preaching a
wonderful sermon.... is no evidence of a Christ-
filled life.
So when a guy says he strongly believes he has
been led to a sister because he's gone through
her fb photos and what he sees is a virtuous
wife, I shudder.
When someone proudly tells me he doesn't care
about the complaints from his roommates who
are upset because their sleep are constantly
being disrupted by his loud prayers.
When as an usher, you can quietly take money
from the offering bag for your personal use and
yet you brag about how you completed the 100
days fast without missing out a day.
As I read God's words, I hear His voice again.
'Did you really fast for me? Should you not have
obeyed the words which I proclaimed... by
showing mercy and compassion, executing
justice, refraining from oppressing the widow and
the poor, planning no evil in your heart against
your brother....'
God is more concerned with our character
development than our solemn looking faces and
'i-am-bro so-and-so' outlook...because a man
whose heart has been transformed into the image
of Christ will reflect that life outwardly.
We must not be well decorated sepulchres filled
with dead men's bones. What use is a sparkling
cup filled with dead cockroaches and ants.
Our desire must be that God breaks and deal
with the self life, that our eyes be enlightened to
comprehend the breadth, length, depth and
height of the love of Christ.
I'll rather work with two young ladies who crave
for a daily revelation of Jesus, than with a crowd
of people whose greatest concern is measuring
morality.
By Ife Grace Dada