MAN, GOD AND MAMMON

There are many people around the world and most especially in Nigeria who strongly believed that they would have had a head start in life and be on top of their chosen careers or business if only they had a friend in government or a powerful man of influence to introduce them to “where it is happening”. These people’s reason for their “failures” was because they have “no body”. The other set of people are those to whom money is everything. “If only I can have money, I will drive the latest Mercedes Jeep, build  jaw dropping mansions in Maitama Abuja and acquire properties in Dubai, London, New York and train all my children abroad” they would say. To these people everything in life is denominated in Naira, Dollars, Pounds and Euros etc. These people see demand and supply as the real reason for human existence. In this group of “worshippers” of money( note :money is good, but “the love of money is the root of all evil”) are found all kinds of professionals including lawyers, doctors, pastors, businessmen, engineers, artisans, journalists, politicians and all manners of people. In Nigeria like in the rest of the world, they are the most vociferous. They are the reason why Nigeria probably has the highest number of ritual killings in the world.The next set of people are those who truly believed that they don’t have anybody and not that they are searching for that big man who will open doors of government patronage and treasury, but they solidly trust that God can meet all their needs. While many of them understand the principle of demand and supply economics their lives are not governed by financial rules and regulations emanating from New York, Tokyo, London, Hong Kong, Lagos and other financial capitals of the world, but by “Divine Economics”. What is Divine Economics? This is my definition of divine economics: It is economics in which the adherents of it rely solely on God as the source of their provisions. The divine economy is built on the promises of God. “If I do what God asks me to do, God is contractually(covenant) bound to do what He said He would do.” They agreed that God cannot lie because He is not a man and their faith in God is always like that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who defied the Babylonians (Americans of their era) and declared their trust in God even at the risk of being consumed by fire. That is “fatalistic faith”. Nothing could be as “irresponsible” as believing in God that provides even if for whatever reason, He chooses not to provide for you. It is “foolish” to believe in God that heals even when He has not healed you. That can be called the Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faith.In Book of Daniel 3: 16-18,”Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.” In this modern world that we live in, this group is the “most foolish and irresponsible” with their resources. At least to those that trust in man and money, this category of people are the reason why pastors are driving fancy cars and flying private jets while their congregations are using Okada(commercial motorcycles), but they seem to be saying “If I gave my money to the pastor I trust God to provide for me, but even if He did not provide, I do not mind.” They are considered the most brainwashed people in the world. They don’t have a mind of their own; their minds have been collapsed into the mind of the pastor (reads the owner of the church). They are the most vilified in the social media especially the Facebook( perhaps this could be excused since the inventors of this medium of communication do not believe in such “foolish things” like God). If you post on your Facebook page that you went to Sheraton Hotel, Abuja and paid N20,000 to watch and listen to some jokes by Ali Baba or I Go Die and cap it with a picture with the Grand Comedian of the Federal Republic(GCFR), Ali Baba( a man I respect so much for his artistry), it is considered “cool” and the likes for the picture will reach to the moon. You will also get similar reaction if you attend P Square concert and pay N10,000 and was privileged to take a picture with the twins. But if somebody in the last category of people goes to Church service and upload a picture with a man of God at the service where he was handing a cheque of N5,000 to the man of God for providing him with spiritual food, the abuses will start. The typical reaction from those in the first two group is something like “fools, these are the ones buying private jets for pastors”. Why is the “success” of pastors so painful to lovers of man and mammon even if it is not their money that those in the last group are spending? Why can’t those in the last group indulge in their “foolishness” in peace like the lovers of man and mammon?