God user?

Henry had no job; he fasted and prayed with all his might that God would give him one. He never missed church services, he was very devoted and committed to the work of God, or so it seemed. Soon afterwards God gave him a good job, but never again did he set foot in church. He soon indulged in many immoral and unethical acts. What was the problem? For him it was just a short term project. It wasn’t about God or Christian service; it was only about his much desired job. Jesus in his earthly sojourn met the needs of many people, but He knew their loyalty to Him was only dependent on having their needs met.; John 6:26-27. They followed Him because He fed them, this isn’t the ideal situation. Unfortunately the same scenario plays out today. I look at many churches and worshippers, and it is clear the ONLY reason why they are so devoted is so that their needs will be met. How many people will fast, pray and attend vigils when all their needs have been met? Is the kingdom of God still the target of the majority of believers today?

Jesus wants a higher level of relationship with us, one which will not be hinged solely on what we can get from Him. When life hits you with hard blows below the belt, will your commitment to God shake or will you stand fast? If you lose your job on a Friday evening, will you gladly go to church on the following Sunday and still do all you’ve always done (as your Christian service) as though nothing happened? I know a man; a vibrant evangelist who served God faithfully. He got married and as expected, his wife became pregnant. On the delivery day, she labored and eventually gave up the ghost, the child also died. Naturally, he was downcast. However, it is amazing to know who delivered the sermon at the funeral; it was the bereaved evangelist himself! His friends pleaded with him to allow one them take the sermon, he refused. He proved to the world that he still had a message despite the tragedy that befell him. That is the kind of commitment that we all should have towards God, one that will not be swayed by prevailing circumstances. Apostle said what shall separate us from the love of Christ?! If you have a tangible or palpable answer to this question, you’re wrong!

Unlike Job, will you curse God if your world suddenly falls apart? Especially if you look inwards and you feel you have been steadfast and devoted? When tragedy strikes, will you say in your heart that you have no need of God anymore?  Do you only see Him as the provider of food for your stomach, or is He the Food for your soul as well? Many of us are aware of the story of the renowned Bishop Oyedepo whose wife was mysteriously ill and was at the point of death. He did all he knew how to do to ensure her recovery, all to no avail. He then told God that even if his wife should die, he would still hold on to God, serve Him and not allow that affect his commitment. At another time, the Bishop said that even if it is discovered today that there is no God and the world unanimously agrees on this and they are right, he’ll continue to serve God! Now that is the kind of commitment that God wants from His children. The type that is independent of, and unaffected by trends and prevailing circumstances. A few times I’ve found myself in very undesirable circumstances as well, but I don’t think of leaving God because of them. If we forsake Him, to whom do we go; the devil?

Take a look at the Christians in the more economically advanced countries and you will see true commitment, they seek God out of true love and commitment and not as a pay cheque. Their economy thrives, the unemployed have social security, and life is good. At the advent of Christianity in Nigeria, missionaries from Europe thronged the African continent in their hundreds.  Many left well paying jobs, some sold their possessions while others liquidated their assets and inheritance to face a bleak future and the high risk of death and disease on the mission fields of Africa. Some brought their caskets down, used them as travel bags to convey their belongings. I look for that kind of commitment among Nigerians today, it exists but very scarce. I am of the opinion that we all should ask ourselves a sincere rhetorical question which is “Why am I seeking God?” 

Please do not get me wrong. God is committed to meeting our needs because He cares for us.  The Lord’s Prayer says give us this day our daily bread. Matt.6:25-34 assures us that God knows our needs and He will meet them. Phil. 4:19 emphasizes the same. However, having our needs met should not be the motivation for serving Him. Imagine you as an unmarried and wealthy individual and you begin to court someone, how will you feel if you realize that the person doesn’t love you and his/her only interest is your money? Please do not bother so much regarding material things. Our priority should be to search our souls, seek God to the maximum in this lifetime and desire to be with him in the next. There is a life after this one, and in it God isn’t going to ask if you drove a rolls royce, a range rover or if you walked on foot while on earth. His interests go far beyond that. He will be interested in whether you were born again or not, whether you lived well and treated your fellow man appropriately. He’ll ask if you did your best, if you used His gifts and abilities deposited in you to maximum yield and for the welfare of mankind.

Like someone who suddenly woke up from a nightmare, you still have the opportunity to live right and make a difference. Don’t wait until you meet God in eternity before you try to live well and make amends, because at that time, your zeal and remorse wouldn’t matter and it would be too late.

Act right, act now.