GOD OWNS YOU AND YOU OWE HIM
By VEN. STEPHEN WOLEMONWU
Rector, Ibru Ecumenical Centre
Divine and natural endowments are indebtedness to God’s investment. The human body is a channel for spiritual outflow in the human realm. God has always longed to dwell in man and with man. When an individual is naturally or spiritually endowed, he or she is obligated to God and man.
Human or divine endowments are products not of self-doing, personal efforts, or parental efforts. In life our personalities differ from one to another. Some are born intelligent, beautiful, outstanding, outspoken, very skilful, bold, and blessed. To some they lack all the glamour that life can afford; neither of them are responsible for their creation. Sometimes human deformation could be naturally, environmentally or genetically propelled or as a result of medical or scientific error; none of the aforementioned is the child’s making.
Life is privilege thrust upon man. Who we are and what we are; are opportunity for service to humanity. Some people are born great others have greatness placed upon them either ways the man is indebted to give back what he has received.
As against scientific and modern assertion ‘Man’ is a creation of God; either science or religion are all believed by faith. Not everything in life has been scientifically proven; certain facts of life are beyond the comprehension of science. Facts and faith are all products of man’s knowledge by experience. It is all about perception.
At creation, God created man and breath into him ‘the breath of life’ – the beginning of life; the breath of the Almighty made man a living being. The igbo word ‘Umendu’ meaning ‘breath of life’ and ‘Nmadu’ meaning ‘man or human’, reveals truth ever green. The first word ‘Umendu’ is a compound word: ‘Ume’- meaning breath and ‘Ndu’ meaning life; and the second word ‘Nmadu’ is ‘Nma’- meaning beauty and ‘Ndu’ meaning life. Here you see that the ‘Umendu’ made the man, the ‘Nmadu’. Man was created by God to reveal the beauty of creation, man was created by man as the ultimate beauty of creation. The real essence of life is service. The product that made man to function is –‘God’s breath. In Man lives the breath of life which is owned by God.
The word ‘temple’ means shrine, a dwelling place. Our body is God’s temple. This shows that we carry a percentage of God in us and we totally belong to God. The reason the body is limited is because it has been subjected to corruption by the fall and brought under bondage. The bondage of corruption is the reason we see limitations, and restriction in man
[Know this about the Body].
- The body can be structured and restructured.
- The body can manifest in full potential.
- The body can also manifest in partial potential.
- The body can be externally influenced and corrupted.
- There are materials and immaterial elements that corrupts the body.
- The human senses can be conditioned to act in certain way of life.
- Life is a process and habit is a process of life.
- Both life and habit are developed within an environment.
In every environment people live in colonies. These colonies define everyone’s value which over time affects the total man positively or negatively. Lack of good environment, and keeping poor company (1 Corinthians 15:33-34.) are all agents of corruption
Having the Knowledge of God
What is the knowledge of God? God’s desire is to have intimacy with us; lack of this intimacy leaves us naked, empty and sick. In the men: Adam, Cain, Saul, etc. we discover that God’s Spirit does not strive with man forever. Our connectivity with God determines our continuity and productivity on earth. No man is above divine disqualification. Heaven can discard any person irrespective of the investment heaven has made. Therefore, it is important to maintain intimacy with God irrespective of social or sacred attainment.
Knowing God must be by experience. Knowledge is deeper than facts and figures; someone would ask what do mean? Facts are subjective and figures can be manipulated by human error. Truth is objective, devoid of all forms of manipulation. God is the Ultimate Truth. He is not subject to frail or error. The servant may represent his master in all things but will always remain a figure, symbol and a shadow. Judging a master by the erroneous representation made by the servant is a mental manipulation and an ignorant attempt to antagonise the master. The servant of God therefore who claims to be a representative of God is solely responsible for the errors in representation and not God.
God through the ages sent men, used men but can never sole ordain a man as an ultimate vessel. Any man can be disqualified. From Adam to Abraham to Moses to the Judges, Kings and Prophets no one was above replacement. If there was a man God would have held on to ‘forever’; it would have been Adam. King Saul was not without anointing, but he ended up stripped of honour and glory.
How art the mighty fallen! Any ‘mighty’ can fall. Therefore, the need for carefulness, consistency in communion with God, control over challenges and controversies. No man prevails alone but under God any man can do valiantly. Let the Lord have His way in your life; you will be confident in this one thing that He never fails
THE POWER OF GIFT
Giving is a gift from God. Every day, every moment, man is given and is positioned to give. The gift we give is a representation of our knowledge of the ultimate giver. In life people give all sorts of things: good, bad, right, wrong, real, fake, modern, outdated, ancient, civil, cruel etc. Gifts sometimes are given unconsciously and intentionally. They come in several wraps. What we do on daily bases is a gift to someone. When you give a smile unknowingly to you, the life touched by that smile might have an emotional relief and healing. Every man is a gift, but what wrap are you and what is your content?
Whatever you do is a kind of seed or gift.
That we have opportunity to give is because we have the privilege to give.
- The life you enjoy
- The little or much resources you have
- The beauty and strength you have and other blessings are God’s gift for service (Deut. 8:18), Yes! For Service.
THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT
In Matthew 25: 14 – 30ff; The Lord gave a parable of servants to whom their master gave talents and responsibilities:
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The word unprofitable means not profitable: producing no gain, good, or result
It also mean some things were invested in you but you did not make profit or you were given something but you made no gain or profit.
LOOKING AT THE ABOVE TEXT, WHAT MADE THE SERVANT UNPROFITABLE?
1. Negligence to opportunity
2. Felt he had just little to invest
3. Procrastination
4. Hurdling and hiding the talents and gift
6. Excuses- His master was his excuse, what is your own excuse?
- Your pastor?
- Your family?
- Your weakness?
- Members of your church?
- Your Job, I guess?
- Your friends?
- Your educational qualification?
- The present economic challenge in the Country?
- Discouraging behaviour from your leaders?
What really is making you unprofitable to God, to your Church, your Community, your family, and to yourself?
The unprofitable servant was not spared by God, do you think God would excuse your negligence? Beware, God’s Judgement is indeed not negotiable.
BENEFITS OF BEING PROFITABLE
There is nothing we do either to God or man that goes unrewarded. Sometimes the reward could have either a long or short time manifestation. The fact of reward is that sometimes your reward does not come from the most laboured field.
Life most time rewards you from another angle of less investment. Doing service without the mind set of entitlement and reward breeds honesty, dedication and commitment; whatever you do, do same as unto God and not unto man.
Service and consistency brings amongst other things:
– Promotion
– More responsibility
– Addition and increase
– Commendation by the master
– Free from punishment
– Approved
– Attested as faithful and good
– Given more opportunity to serve
– Separated from the unprofitable.
DISGUISED APPEARANCE
In Life the opportunity to serve is presented to us in different forms and shapes. When the Lord came, He came hungry, thirsty, strange, naked, a prisoner. These are qualities no one would believe God would ever assume. He is the owner of the universe, the fountain of living water, the creator, the one clothed in glory and splendour, the Almighty that dwells above and is above all. Why this form?
The forms by which He appears may be so shameful and undesirable that we may not see God standing before us in such form. No wonder the ‘Righteous’ will be confused and will answer. When did you come? God may manifest to us in little forms we never imagined. This could be a little service, a little crowd, a little person, just a little thing. The widow, the Orphan, the needy, the challenged, the decaying, the demotion, even the challenge and changes, hmmmm! Just anything could be ‘HIM’, standing to be served by you His servant. To the Clergy and pastors, that neglected need in the church or even that neglected and rejected Church could be God’s disguised appearance needing your service.
THE CERTAINTY OF REWARD
A day of judgment and account is coming, everyone will appear not as a group, not as a team, not as a family, not as a people, not as a church BUT as INDIVIDUALS.
Can you answer to these questions?
Who is your determining factor for productivity?
What is your determining factor for productivity?
How do you determine the factor for productivity?
What are you seeing in the church?
What are you seeing in your pastor?
What are you seeing in your Priest?
What are you seeing in your leader?
What are you seeing in your Denomination or Congregation?
What are you seeing in your Community?
What are you seeing in your family?
Are you discouraged?
Have you taken a decision and on what bases?
Whose reward do you want?
Are all these enough reason to stray the path of commitment, dedication and service?
God bless your labour of Love
