Validation: The Witch Doctor or Jesus?

Validation. We all love it - that pat on the back when we are doing well, that encouraging word when we’ve met the goal, the simple reminder that we are seen and noticed. As a blogger, some of that validation comes in the form of comments. I LOVE to hear from you. I LOVE to hear what God is doing in your life. And if God has used anything I’ve written here, I appreciate knowing that, so that I can thank Him for being faithful in this small space!

And so recently when I noticed some comments here, I was eager to read them and to gain a little insight into who was reading these posts. As I shared earlier this year, this blog has been read by someone - at least one person! - in half the countries in the world.

(You can read about that here: To The Ends of the World)

I grew up in a missionary family. I was born in the states, but spent my early years in west Africa. I don’t remember much, I don’t speak the languages anymore (I can understand a little bit, sometimes), and there’s really nothing that I can point back to with any great remembrance.

Except for one thing.

To this day, when I look through my parents’ pictures, I still get a sense of discomfort, of uneasiness, of…almost a fear…when I look at pictures of the “parade” that was part of the tribal ritual to take the young boys out to the bush for whatever “ceremony” it was that would end with their transition into manhood. I don’t remember details, I don’t remember the events, but the pictures still bring up those same feelings.

The witch doctor was the “revered religion” so to speak. Sickness? Injury? Problem? For a price, the witch doctor could “fix” the problem for you. This is still a belief in many areas of the world today.

What does that have to do with my validation at this space? Well, it has to do with some comments I’ve received recently. I have the comments here on the blog set in such a manner that if you comment, and it’s your first time to leave a comment, I have to go in and approve it. Once I approve it, future comments that you write will go through right away, but I must approve your first comment, and I can delete any that are inappropriate, at any time.

I was excited for the alert that I had comments recently - happy that I was writing something with which the readers were connecting. Happy for that small bit of validation.

Until I read the comments.

My first inclination was to kind of laugh - the comments seemed a little ridiculous to me. But that’s because I don’t hold the same beliefs. I realized these comments, while maybe spam, did serve as a great reminder that others believe differently - that others do believe that the witch doctor is the all-powerful being.

And so I did not approve those comments because they contained a link to some website that I did not, and do not intend to send you to.

BUT…

I want to address those comments, to validate them, because I would be missing a HUGE opportunity if I did not.

Let me start this next section by saying this post, specifically, will be well-prayed over before it is published because I realize that what I am writing will stand right up against the devil.
However, if I’m getting some comments that point this way, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to stand up for what I believe in, and to share that with you as well.

If you search online, you can find countless stories of how the witch doctors are called upon, in various parts of the world, when a situation is grim. Most stories tell of money changing hands - “paying for your miracle”. It makes sense that we would need to “buy” our help. After all, we purchase things we need - we buy our food, we buy our mode of transportation (or we pay someone to take us), we buy our clothing. We pay for things we need, so it is not so far-fetched to believe that we would pay someone to heal us.

However, if you do a search for “stories of witch doctors or Jesus,” or something similar to that, you will find many stories when people paid the witch doctor, but the witch doctor could do nothing for them. Those same stories will often include recommendations by the witch doctor, to go see “the white man’s God” once the witch doctors realize that they cannot help.

{Here is an example of one such story: Jesus is Cheaper Than the Witch Doctor -click to visit the post.}

Why would the witch doctor, that all-powerful being, suggest seeing “the Christian’s God”?
That answer can be found in James 2:19 -

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

The witch doctor is full of demonic power. He can do nothing on his own - he is simply human, as we are. His power, though, comes from the spiritual world, but his influence is from the demonic realm, not the heavenly ream. You see, we can see the physical world - the sky, the trees, the people around us - with our physical eyes. But that isn’t the only ‘world’ that we live in.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us -

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

And so while we are living in the day-to-day of jobs, kids, friends, family, church, social life, that’s not all that is going on. Many of us know that. And so do the witch doctors.

It’s no surprise to the witch doctors when things don’t turn out well. They realize, as the verse above shows, that other forces are at work. The battle for our hearts and our souls is a spiritual battle. When the witch doctor realizes he is beaten, what does he do? Acknowledges the only true help.

Many times, witch doctors can work their “charms” for the desired outcome. However, at what price? Many of the stories we read about people visiting witch doctors talk about the high price, monetarily, that must be paid.

But then the witch doctors eventually point someone to Jesus, and what do those people find?

That Jesus doesn’t charge us before He helps us. Not a penny. He doesn’t ask for our last dime. He doesn’t require us to be ritualistically made clean.

What does He ask?

Faith.

He asks that we have faith that He is who He says He is, and that He will do as He says He will.

Faith.

He doesn’t want your money. He doesn’t require you to be perfect before He will help you.

He simply asks that you have faith.

In Mark 5:21-43, Jesus is called on to heal Jairus’ daughter. He begins to walk to Jairus’ house when some of the servants come to say that his daughter has already died.

Jesus does not take money from Jairus, he does not enter into any kind of contract with Jairus before committing to see the girl. Instead, his reply is found in verses 35 and 36:

35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.
“Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

What did Jesus ask of Jairus?

Faith.

It is not money that will buy a miracle. It is not a spell that will mend broken hearts or lives. It is not any tangible possession that we can give, that will fix our problems.

It is simply faith.

Faith in “the white man’s God” - faith in a being more powerful than the witch doctor. Faith in the One and only God, who created the world we see with our eyes, and who prepares a place for us in heaven - the world our souls were made for.

I welcome your comments - even when I do not believe the same way you do. I won’t publish comments with questionable links (such as those which contain a link to a site to talk with a witch doctor or other ‘guru’), but I will gladly converse with you about your beliefs, and I will publish comments which do not contain questionable links. This is a place where I hope you will continue to come and openly discuss your opinions and beliefs.

This space will continue to be a place that brings honor to Jesus, and that is why I’m choosing to respond to the comments that I’ve received - to give validation to the name of Jesus. These comments were a wake up call to me that I want to continue to share with you that Jesus is strong and powerful and that the forces of this world CANNOT stand against Him.

Remember - all He requires is faith!

If you are here today and need to know more about Jesus, I hope you’ll read through previous posts on the blog. I am grateful to have the opportunity to share my love for Jesus with all of you, and to know that God is doing His amazing work to get this message to the ends of the world.

If you are interested in learning a little more about spiritual warfare, don’t miss this video from my dear friend, Vonetta. You can find her on Twitter at @VonettaCarter and on YouTube as well.

 

photo source