There is no doubt that Zimbabwe has gone from oppression to oppression. We oppress one another. How painful that is! Why do we do this? It is because there is no revelation of Christ Jesus. There is no revelation of what freedom really is. Freedom only comes with the knowing of our Heavenly Father through our Saviour. Jesus died on the cross to set us free.
God hates oppression! Every leader in Zimbabwe should get hold of a bible and a concordance and look up all the scriptures to do with oppression and tremble in their shoes. These include our political leaders, heads of homes, bosses at work and yes, even church leaders. Maybe I am going where angels fear to tread – but let me share with you a little story from a few years ago.
A businessman from Ardbennie in Harare, came to my premises in the same area to enquire after something. We started talking. He asked me what church I attended and these were the words that somehow fell out of my mouth. I said to him, “My government oppresses me and so why should I also go to church and be oppressed?”
Do you know that I have thought about those words many times? They tumbled from my heart because something was troubling me.
Without the life of Christ flowing through us we cannot love our brothers as we love ourselves. God told us to love one another as He has loved us. Is this what we see in Zimbabwe? What the oppressor does not understand is that he, himself, is tightly bound in the chains of sin and blinded by deception. God hears the cry of the oppressed and He will act.
It has always amazed me that we can sit in church on Sunday and oppress our fellow Zimbabwean on Monday! ‘Redeem me from the oppression of man so that I may keep Your precepts.’ (Psalm 119:134) Brothers and sisters, we need to pray. Pray to know Jesus more and cry out for the church to come into a much deeper relationship with their Lord. Pray for those who abuse you; for your enemies. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.
Post published in: Faith