“God gives us people to love and things to use, not things to love and people to use…” ~Unknown

I’m yet to see a pastor, (wo)man of God do what Pope Francis recently did. Pope Francis was recently gifted with a special edition Lamborghini Huracan, which sells for upwards of $200,00.00, he signed the hood of the car (which will definitely bump up the car’s value) and plans to auction the car and give the proceeds to three charities. This is what I believe Jesus would have done as well. Not keep the car and still expect more expensive gifts to show off how “blessed” s/he is.

As a Christian, I try to read my bible daily and meditate on the words to get a deeper understanding of God’s word. As such I’m not easily swayed by the foolishness of this generation. I’m concerned how so many people think the Christian life is all about storing up wealth on earth and even going to the extent of taking advantage of fellow believers to achieve this false sense of abundance. My gripe today is with (wo)men of God who believe being the head of the church or the general overseer of the church or the founder of the church automatically gives them the privilege to be wealthy at the expense of their church members. I hear of men of God who have private jets (oh the costs that go into renting a hangar for these jets and maintaining these jets) but yet they have church members who can’t feed, who are homeless, who can’t pay their medical bills or pay the school fees of their children. I always use the story of Jesus as my yardstick. When Jesus walked this earth, He could have owned numerous boats, donkeys/livestock, female and male servants, houses, farmlands any and every earthly possession he wanted (after all, everything on earth belongs to His Father) BUT, He did not. Jesus lived a simple life. His disciples were always well taken care of, given just what they needed to survive. Jesus did not prey on his followers but he prayed and cared for them.

I read a quote a while back “Jesus fed five thousand men but nowadays five thousand men are feeding the pastor.” This is the truth a lot of Christians live today. We live in a time where some pastors and men/women of God are more interested in what the congregation can give to them and not what they can give to the congregation. We have people desperate to be helped by the church but these days, some churches are commercialized and used as fattening houses for the pastors and men/women of God. Recently, on one of my WhatsApp group, a member stated she has a dilemma as a church-member came to her house with her husband and child crying that their landlord threw them out of the house and they needed a place to stay for a couple of weeks. The group member stated she was not close to this lady and was not friends with this lady just church connection. A few people in the group (myself inclusive) advised her to send this family to the church. If the church members cannot rely on the church for assistance at such low points in their lives, then what is the purpose of the church? To simply preach the word on Sunday, turn right around and leave the members feeling helpless when in trouble or in need? Is a shepherd’s duty not to look out for his flock and know what is happening with his flock?

I know this post will rattle some feathers but if you can show me where in the bible Jesus preached for the purpose of gaining earthly possessions and to be rich, then I will recant this post. Nowhere in my bible did Jesus buy boats and houses or have any material possession, nowhere in my bible did Jesus preach to a crowd and let them go away hungry. He met them at their needs every time. While reading my Bible this evening, I came across 1 Peter 5: 2-3 which states, “² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” I smiled because some men of God need to meditate on this scripture and lead by example. How are you leading by example if you as a pastor, man/woman of God own a private jet but your average church member can’t depend on the church for accommodation when thrown out, when a church member can’t afford to pay his/her medical bills or his/her children’s school fees? Or the widows and orphans in your church are not being cared for?

I believe pastors and men/women of God should be well taken care of because of the good work they do in the lives of the congregation, but when acquisition of material possession become the order of the day at the expense of the flock Jesus has left in your care, then it’s time to sit down, open the Bible and ask yourself “what would Jesus do?”