FEATURE ARTICLE

Sam AwedaWednesday, December 28, 2016
[email protected]
Lagos, Nigeria

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YOUR PRIVILEGE (3)

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Continued from Part 2

will continue again today to talk about the priviledges, which God gives each one of us and to challenge everyone to look inward and take account of all the priviledges or opportunities, which God has given him/her and examine whether or not you are using it for the benefit of mankind or you are using it to cause distress to other creation of God.

This is the third in the series of this topic "Your Priviledge"

But meanwhile, let us commit this hour into the hands of God.

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Your Privilege

Let no one think that the position he is occupying is insignificant and so all he can do with it is to see how he can maximize his gain with it, not bothering whichever way it affects anyone, even if it causes anguish to such fellows.

But God has not designed it that way. Rather He wants you to know that whatever position you are occupying, whether one of high eyebrow or a low one, it is a priviledge given to you by Him. And He expects you to use those priviledges for the benefit of mankind. And when you do that, God is very pleased.

And it is the only way by which we can enjoy our lives and our world. This is the only way by which our lives and our world can be meaningful in the true sense of it. It is the only way by which God is glorified.

God hates very much that anyone uses his/her priviledge to oppress his fellow human beings or to cause anguish to them.

Look at it this way, who of you have children and will be happy that one child oppresses another of the siblings, disturbing the peace of his other children?

Which earthly father will be glad to watch one of the children take the life of another of his children?

Which earthly father will be glad to watch one of his children cause distress and anguish to the other children?

But imagine the happiness of that earthly father who his children love one another and live in harmony?

So you can see why God cannot be happy to see anyone cause distress to another fellow because He is the father of every one of us. We all are His creation; white, black, yellow or green.

What God did was to give each of us some talents, some priviledges, different from others so that we all can use those privileges to complement one another; my own priviledge to use it to bless other creations of God, your own priviledge to use it to bless me and other creations of God in order that we all can have collective joy. He has not given anyone any privilege to use it to cheat or to cause anguish to his fellow mankind.

Jesus said that when you do good to your fellow human beings, it is Him you have done it to. He also said that when you do evil to your fellow human being, it is Him you have done it to (Matt. 25:31-46)

Should God visit any department and request a file to be processed and the staff of the department recognizes that it is God, I believe that everyone in the department from the messengers to the clerks, to the staff Officer, to the Directors, to the Permanent Secretary, will run helter skelter, to outwit one another and make sure that the file is promptly processed.

But God will not come down. He does not personally need anything from any human being but He said once you do good to any of His creation, whether he is a very important personality or not, you have done it to Him.

Hear the Lord as documented in the book of Matthew chapter 25.

"But when I, the Messiah,[e] shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. 32 And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people[f] as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.

34 "Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, 'Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; 36 naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.

37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? 38 Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'

40 "And I, the King, will tell them, 'When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!'

41 Then I will turn to those on my left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry and you wouldn't feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn't give me anything to drink; 43 a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'

45 "And I will answer, 'When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me.'

46 "And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life." (Matt.25:31-46)

The writer of the book of Hebrews in 13:8 wrote

"Don't forget to be kind to strangers, for some who have done this, have entertained angels without realizing it!

Are you in the employment of someone? Are you loyal to him/her? Do you cheat him or her? Are you rendering your services in a manner that can collapse the business or you are rendering it to promote it? Are you planning to inherit the business, which you have no input in the formation?

I once employed a gardener for our Church. I did everything to satisfy him but he repaid every of my kindness with evil. He stole so much one day to his own embarrassment himself and he could no longer report for duty again.

Jesus approves it, that a servant be loyal to his master. Hear Him:

"45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing" (Matt. 24: 45-46).

Paul admonished servants "22 Servants, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3: 22-24).

Are you a Doctor?

How do you treat your patients?

Do you show them any sympathy and empathy?

Are you at your clinic promptly or you let your patients sit down, waiting for hours without any reason?

Do you direct the patients to your private clinic?

Have you ever thought of it that it is a priviledge, given to you by God to become a doctor?

Are you aware that you will give account of your stewardship to God one day?

I am preaching to you on "Your privilege"

Are you a Nurse? Do you nurse the patients you are paid to nurse or you only sit down at the Nurses' station, talking with your colleagues and read newspapers?

Are you a big man in the office? Are you using the General orders (GO) to bless people or using it to destroy them? Are you good to only the staff who kick your ass? Do you process and approve payments of contractors promptly or you must take a certain percentage before you do?

Are you a clerk or a messenger? Do you hide or destroy files of those who have refused to grease your palms? Remember that a day of reckoning will come, however long.

Are you a Custom or Police Officer or any of the duties that wear uniform? Are you using your position to cause joy in people or are you using it to cause anguish in them? A day is coming when you will answer God about all your activities.

There was once lived a slave girl.

She was a slave but endowed with uncommon beauty.

Her name was Esther and her story is recorded in the book of the Bible that bears her name.

It is a true story.

It occurred in the ancient country of Persia, known as Iran today.

The greater part of the world was ruled by the Medio-Persia Empire at the point in time and Persia was the senior partner of the alliance.

The Emperor demoted the senior queen, who was charged with an offence of slighting the emperor and must be replaced.

All beautiful virgins were paraded before the Emperor and the beauty of the slave was one that the Emperor could not resist.

A slave girl thus became the queen and a power in the kingdom.

At the appointed time, the slave queen used her influence at the expense of her own life and saved her entire people- all slaves in their thousands, from what will have been the first holocaust. She said "If I perish I perish" (Esther 4:16).

This slave girl turned queen used her beauty priviledged position to save the lives of thousands of her tribesmen.

What are you using your priviledged position for?

Are you using the opportunities, which God gives you to cause joy to people or to cause sorrow for them?

Remember that whatever you use your priviledge for, whether evil or good, it is God you are doing it to.

Let us pray.

Continued from Part 2

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