by Baruch Okpulor
baruchmails@gmail.com
www.lulu.com/spotlight/barock
Your Status is Irrelevant
“You cannot be crowned until you become. You cannot become until you overcome. You cannot overcome until you obey” Baruch Okpulor.
The World upholds the principle of “Who’s Who” in the society. It is a game of prestige, qualifications, titles, status, wealth and position. It is a matter of whom you know, how much wealth he possesses, top public offices held, number of academic and professional qualifications acquired, countries lived in and visited and political posts and titles held. It is a matter of timber and calibre in the society.
These are man’s yardstick of measurement and determination of value and allocation of respect in our terrestrial ball.
God is aware of this ancient attitude and talked about it in the book of Luke 16:15
“And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God”
Unfortunately, in God’s presence, the reverse is the case. What and who you are is rated by God using divine attributes and standard and never by earthly possessions and qualifications. Your value is determined by the extent to which you have used God’s deposits in your life to impact greatly on others. It is about the cleanliness of your heart and character. It is about how right your heart is with God and the degree of your relationship with Him. This is because God does not see as man sees (1 Samuel 16:7). He is not interested in physical appearance and beauty. Your status in the church or society may deceive you to believe that you may not need God personally in your life.
After all, you pray, fast and attend all religious activities in your church. After all, you have made it as far as man’s standard is concerned.
Abraham was very rich in his land with over three hundred servants trained and fed in his household, yet he had a time to meet with God. Jesus Christ had all the powers while He was in this World, yet He spent many nights at intervals in the presence of the Father.
The moment you begin to think that there is an aspect of godliness you can do without, that’s when you begin to loose grip on God’s power and intervention in your affairs.
When King Saul thought he could do without Samuel in offering burnt sacrifices to God, he began to loose his kingdom to David.
As soon as Herod thought he could live by giving God’s glory to himself, he became food for the worm. When Ahab threw caution to the winds despite divine warnings against his idolatrous and inhuman activities, he ended up dying like a pauper in the war instead of a celebrated king.
God had not and would not work with men and women who consider their status, position, and class, societal or spiritual standing as important and indispensable.
Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his might and glory in building Babylon, yet God reduced him to the level of an animal for seven seasons. Jezebel considered her position as a queen in Israel too lofty to honour God and her blood was spilled on the streets of Jezreel and licked by dogs.
The person God wants to honour with supernatural power and prosperity must drop the garment of “Who’s Who” and put on the apparel of humility and personal nothingness before God. He must see himself as a man of unclean lips, defiled character with a wicked heart before God as Nehemiah, Jeremiah and Isaiah expressed, willing and waiting to be purged by the Ancient of Days.
Your height, size, beauty, knowledge and popularity are immaterial before Him who does not see as men see. What matters is that you are willing to go with Him when, where and how He wants it.
On the other hand, don’t get scared from going to God because of your inadequacies and sins. No man that God used was righteous and worthy of his own accord or wisdom but by the grace of God because our righteousness is like filthy rag before the Lord. We have all sinned and fallen short the glory of God. You are an invaluable gem before God’s eyes, so don’t hesitate to present yourself to Him as One who values the brokenhearted and anyone with a contrite spirit.
Rahab was a harlot in Jericho, the city God intended to destroy. But immediately she showed the fear of God and believed in God’s word by hiding the two spies from Israel, God took notice of her and her family and spared their lives when Jericho was consumed by the power of God (Joshua 2:1, 6: 17).
She became a jewel in God’s eyes even though a prostitute in the eyes of men, while popular and powerful men and women like Saul of Israel, Haman of Shushan, Jezebel, queen of Samaria, and Athaliah, the queen of Israel, bore pitiable records before God.
When the woman of Samaria accepted Jesus and His Word even when she had experienced several marital conflicts and divorce in her life, God acknowledged her as the bearer of good tidings while she told her people about Jesus, the Deliverer from sin.
What keeps God away from you is not the number of sins you have committed in your past but your stubbornness to justify and continue in sin. Your societal and religious ranks could destroy you before God except you allow the Lord to purify you as you start a covenant time today in His presence and watch Him take your life to the next level while He uproots all vices found in your life.
This is the time to allow God create a new success profile for you in heaven irrespective of what your earthly description has been. The world called Jezebel the queen of Samaria while heaven called her a murderer of Naboth and the prophets of God. Lazarus was called the dead but heaven called him the living. The citizens of Jericho called Rehab a prostitute but heaven knew her as a woman of faith. Hannah was called the barren but heaven called her the fruitful.
This is the time to drop your break-ups, break downs and breakaways at the feet of God for He is ready to change whatever the world calls you but you must first submit to Him willingly.
God bless you as you do this.
Kindly leave a comment if this article made an impression on you.
Recommended Books:
When Trusting God Makes No Sense
The Secret of Supernatural Power, Deliverance and Prosperity
Breaking the Hold of Self Slavery
Stop Existing! Start Living!
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