A lot of you are probably thinking who in the world is Hopsin? He has sin in his name so he must be wrong right? Haha, no. Hopsin is an independent rapper who has a darker tone to his raps. So what does that matter? Well in the past he claimed to be a Christian, whether he is or not I don’t know for sure — only God can know the real heart of man. Well after a short tenure of claiming Christianity he released a song entitled “Ill Mind of Hopsin 7.” The song is very descriptive and authentic with his feelings towards God and the religions of the world. Here’s a link to the song on YouTube:
**Disclaimer: This song is explicit**
I want to make it clear that I do not want to come across as praising Hopsin for what he has done in this but instead raise questions within followers of Christ to stop using Christian terms to explain their way around difficult or dry times in our life. He renounced his Christianity, so what? Why has he been more influential than some Christians in your life? The answer is one that is very simple but yet something that I feel we need to explain. I believe that authenticity in the Christian circles is something we don’t use too often. The problem comes from being what I call “Christianly Correct.” While we all get mad at the world being too politically correct, we ourselves formed a sub-genre within that. It’s that very thing I believe people fall away from the church for or even causes non-believers to become scared or hateful of the church. Hopsin, whether Christian or not, can teach us a few things about being authentic with God.
From this song I can see three things that we can take away from it that we as Christians should be doing on a daily basis.
1. Admit that sometimes we are skeptical about whether what we’re doing is right or wrong.
The song starts out with Hopsin questioning this very thing about his life and God.
“I'm staring down the road my life has gone, is this where I belong? Is it wrong to not believe in right and wrong? My mental state is f****** me up and I pry the problem while asking you for some answers; but we don't have that type of bond. That my desires gone with the way that I've been living lately. If I died right now, you'd turn the fire on.”
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we truly question sometimes whether what we’re doing is the best situation. We even question God in what He is doing or even his existence. I’ll be honest and say that I’ve done all three. After my school, Clearwater Christian College, was closed, I was so frustrated and angry at God. I wondered why He would let that happen in life. So I would vent and I would use different avenues to do so. I would talk to people about it and I would hear the same cliché things over and over again. “God is good” and “God is in control.”
Don’t get me wrong those things are all true, but it isn’t what I need to hear. I remember a specific instance where I was talking to someone over the last year about it and they told me “you shouldn’t question God.” I disagree with that. All throughout the Bible you see that happening: Within Jesus' life when talking about letting the cup (his coming death) pass from him; you see it in Job when he loses literally everything; even Jacob wrestles with an angel. But yet, we dare not do that anymore today because I believe we’re afraid to be real with ourselves and with God. It’s that very reason that I also believe we struggle that much more immensely with sin or say dry spells within our lives. We try to reconcile those by quoting phrases that we hear but don’t even believe to be true at that very time. We sit back become angry at God but then don’t tell him that. We recite how much we love Him which is true, but at the very moment does God want to hear you recite the things that are true or does he want true authenticity out of you? Which leads me to my next thing I can draw out of this song.
2. Belief is a fragile element of our life we take so carelessly.
“I hate the fact that I have to believe, you haven't been chatting with me like you did Adam and Eve. And I ain't seen no f****** talking snake unravel from the trees, with an apple to eat, that s*** never happens to me, I don't know if you do or don't exist, it is driving me crazy, Send your condolences, this is me reaching to you so don't forget.”
Hear Hopsin tells us how he hates that he has to believe. That brings me to really ask how serious we take our belief. He took it so seriously that he hated the fact he had to believe in order to live for God. Not because he just wants it easier but because belief is one of the most fragile elements of our life. As strong as it can be to drive us to do things it could also shatter just as easily causes us to lose sight and focus within our lives. So just ask yourself where your belief is in your life? We never really question anything about our belief but imagine Adam and Eve. They believed and even walked with God. How fast it was shaken up though by the serpent. Just a quick reminder there.
3. Are we asking God to really show himself or just to make us comfortable?
“If you really care for me, prove that I need to live carefully. But I'll be d***** if I put my own pleasure aside for an afterlife that isn't even guaranteed.”
This last quote brings me to my final point. What are we asking God? Here Hopsin ask God to prove himself. Now I don’t want this come off as go out and taunt God because that is wrong. What I do take from this is asking God to really show His power and might within our lives. All throughout the Old Testament and New Testament (even after Pentecost) we see God doing some amazing things. Even reading through some church history we can see God do some amazing things. The churches that I have seen and been around though I just don’t see God doing anything. I don’t think it’s because God stopped working, though. I think it’s the lack of real pursuit towards God or even asking God to do things that we can’t envision. I mean really asking God to do some things we may call crazy or insane. I think we should be asking that. Look at prayers throughout the Bible and from our Church fathers. They are just asking God to move in some incredible ways. I want to encourage everyone to really reach out to God in some crazy ways.
Be authentic with God, understand your belief is a fragile and strong element of your life and ask God to do something that just seems insane!
