When dealing with God’s children breaks you

“Forgive me sir, I have cheated you, and so many people. I have asked you over and over for help – including asking you for money for Bibles which you gave me. I cheated you and conned many others, and used the money you gave me for my own needs. I have come here to ask for your forgiveness.”

That is what greeted me first thing on a Sunday morning, as I opened my office door at church. Of course, I remembered the man. How many times had I given him hard cash from my pocket, even sent him mobile money a few times – thinking I was helping a genuine rural pastor in need? Wasn’t this someone serving the Lord?

At the point he was asking me to forgive him, he was down on his knees. It was quite the scene in front of our church. I just found myself praying for him. I actually laid my hands on him. A thief, yes! 

I did not know how to react, part of me wanted to shout or literally scream at him. The last time he asked for money he feigned illness, saying he was on the brink of death, and called my number I don’t know how many times.

For some unknown reason, on that particular day, I was not moved to send him any money.  And so he kept calling – to the point that I had to tell him off. I told him that if God had called him to the ministry, he would make a way for him. The clever man replied saying that God uses people like me to help their kind and that I should reconsider and help him out.

Confession

Three months before the scene at church, he had sent me a message saying how sorry he was for having conned me, and promised to come put things right. And so that Sunday, he showed up and did what God told him to do. Confess to me. 

“I want to live right, I’m going to look for a job,” he told me.

I am still puzzled at all this. I have no idea if he really means it. I guess I did my part as I just prayed for him before the service began and left him to go inside the church. I was not privy to what else happened in the church that day – as the plan was for me to visit our other church branch. So, I just left and went away.

My decades-long ministry journey has had many of such occurrences. Dealing with God’s people has been a whole art in itself. How many times have I felt like Moses in the wilderness seeing him literally speaking back to God, saying “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly?

Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby?

“They keep whining saying give us meat to eat! I cannot carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favour and spare me this misery!” (Numbers 11:12-15)

“How could Moses dare speak back to God in such a way?” you might ask. Well, wait when you are confronted with a nasty real life situation that demands an immediate response and you are so helpless to even provide a solution, especially if you are a leader who is expected to always do something about something. Sometimes ugly nasty words pop out of your mouth when you are pressed with all kinds of pressures from God’s people.

However, God is amazing and in His own way turns things around for the sake of His glory.  God in his mercy listened to his dejected servant Moses and salvaged the whole situation. Oh, what a God we serve!

Moses’ outburst I guess was uncalled for. It feels like it was close to blasphemy, but only God can judge that. 

Friends, life is hard too, for leaders who are leading people crushed by life. Dealing with God’s people, and God himself dealing with us as His children are tough jobs. Let me therefore caution those who want to serve God: Make sure you know you are in this God thing because you are convinced it is a call from God himself.

Do not do it as a mere job because dealing with God’s children can get you killed too. If you do it as job, you will get burnt out and quit. But if you do it because God has clearly called you to it, you will find the strength and grace in Him, to press on each day.

Did you know?
Friends, life is hard too, for leaders who are leading people crushed by life. Dealing with God’s people, and God himself dealing with us as His children are tough jobs.

Let me therefore caution those who want to serve God: Make sure you know you are in this God thing because you are convinced it is a call from God himself.

*The writer, Issues, Ps Micah Rwothumio, is the lead pastor at University Community Church.