Kohima, January 3 (MExN): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), has issued a New Year message, urging believers to embrace “faithfulness and contentment” as foundational virtues for personal and societal transformation in 2026.
In a statement titled ‘Drink from your Own Cistern and Well: A Call to Faithfulness and Contentment in the New Year’ (Proverbs 5:15), the General Secretary of NBCC, Rev Dr Mar Pongener, extended greetings while presenting an assessment of the challenges facing the predominantly Christian Naga society.
Dr Pongener clarified that the council’s intent was to apply the verse’s wisdom beyond its common association with marital faithfulness. He framed it as “a call to faithfulness and contentment in every area of Christian life as we enter a new year.”
“The imagery of a Cistern and a Well invites us to reflect on God’s provision, boundaries, and blessings. As we begin another year, the call is clear: to draw life, joy, and purpose from what God has rightly entrusted to us, rather than seeking fulfillment from borrowed, broken, or polluted sources,” the message stated.
Emphasizing on the virtues of ‘faithfulness and contentment’ as essential for a mature Christian witness, he stated, “Faithfulness and Contentment are deeply interconnected virtues in the Christian life. Faithfulness speaks of steadfast loyalty to God, to His Word, to our calling, and to one another. Contentment reflects a heart that trusts God’s provision and timing. Together, these virtues form the moral and spiritual backbone of a mature Christian life.”
He asserted that many of Nagaland’s persistent problems are not merely political or economic but stem from a spiritual deficit. Despite over 150 years of Christianity, he observed, “many Naga Christians continue to struggle with practicing faithfulness and contentment in daily life. Our confession of faith is often strong, but our conduct does not always reflect the values of the Kingdom of God.”
Additionally, Dr Pongener expressed concern over what he termed a growing “misuse of money” and “poor financial stewardship” in the Naga context, describing it as a damaging search for “other cisterns and wells”.
He said there is a visible trend where many are “no longer content with honest earnings or simple living”. He observed an “increasing tendency to run after wealth and luxury, to borrow irresponsibly, to take what does not belong to us, and even to justify corruption for personal gain.”
The church leader cautioned that these widespread practices are “fundamentally unchristian” and severely harm the community's witness as followers of Christ.
“As Naga Christians,” the NBCC also made a call to, “honestly admit that many of the problems we lament in our society are not merely political or economic, but spiritual and moral. As we begin this New Year, the NBCC urges believers across Nagaland to examine their lives sincerely.”
“Transformation of society must begin with the transformation of God’s people,” he suggested added, “We often ask why our land continues to struggle despite being predominantly Christian.”
Addressing the paradox of Nagaland’s Christian majority alongside its socio-moral struggles, he observed, “Perhaps the answer lies in our failure to live out the faith we profess.”
The council called upon believers to make 2026 a turning point, marked by “integrity over gain, contentment over greed, faithfulness over compromise, and obedience over convenience.”
It urged a return to drawing sustenance from “the well of God’s grace, truth, and righteousness” instead of “broken cisterns” of wealth without integrity.
The NBCC assured all churches and members of its continued prayers for “spiritual renewal, moral courage, strength for every challenge, and joy in every season.” The message concluded with a blessing from Romans 15:13, praying that believers would be filled “with all joy and peace” and “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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