By Pastor Amos Dada PhD;P.Eng
Topic:How is your spouse fixing that matter for you?
“What’s the matter?” his wife Jezebel asked him. “What’s made you so upset that you’re not eating?” 6 “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!” Ahab told her. 7 “Are you the king of Israel or not?” Jezebel demanded. “Get up and eat something, and don’t worry about it. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard!” I king 21:5-7
Above quotation is from a real life situation from the bible not a parable. It is the story of how Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard and how he refused because it was a family inheritance that could not be given away cheaply or be bought at any price.This got Ahab so upset that he would not eat. His wife then said ‘ pharaprased , “ I will fix it, don’t worry.’ Indeed she fixed it by getting Naboth killed!
My question to you this morning is does it matter to you how your spouse fixes things for you to make you happy?
Many times in order to please our spouse we do wrong things, tell lies on the low level and grievous things like murder on the high side.
Many times our faith and belief in God suffers because we want to please our spouse. Some will go ahead and make fake papers. Some will forge documents . Some will misappropriate funds. Some will steal the nation dry to send their children to school.
Some will take another man’s land though legal means illegally.
Ask yourself must I do that ?
What of the family I am defrauding to please my spouse?What of the wife I want to become a widow because my husband needs to smell flowers/roses. What of the children that are going to become fatherless and possibly vagabonds because your husband needs to take a walk in the evening in a garden that is not his?
What of the many that will die because the money they needed to build hospitals for the community, you have stolen it to buy many Range Rovers for your First Lady?
How many have died of typhoid fever because you have to buy the latest dresses and shoes for your spouse instead of using the money to drill borehole to provide potable water for your community?
It reminds me of a husband who was sulcking like Ahab and could not sleep. Then the wife asked what was the matter . I don’t have money to repay my neighbour for the loan I took and he desperately needs it. The wife open the shutter and called the neighbour , shouting on the top of her voice . My husband does not have your money! And slammed the shutter down , told the husband go and sleep, let him(the neighbor) do the worry ! Really !
This is what the Holy Spirt taught me today .
1.It is time we stop being selfish .
2. Appeal to your spouse to swallow his or her pride.
3. Think through.When your spouse says I will fix it find out how. Discuss it, if the route s/he wants to take is ungodly or deadly discourage it and stop it.
4. Life is sacred. The bible says thou shall not commit murder. You don’t need to kill a human being for a cow or vineyard. Life is in the blood. Put yourself in the position of the person you want to kill!
5. Don’t be a scoundrel. Jezebel sought for a scoundrel to bear false witness against Naboth. Stop being a front to siphon government, church,community money. Stop being a thug to politicians or pastors or company directors, or Obas/kings because of stipends.
6. Give your spouse superior reasoning and or alternatives. What stops Jezebel from taking the high road of making the husband to realize how many vineyards he has? How Ahab can afford to buy land and build a better garden. What of reminding your husband about godliness and contentment? How about telling your children or spouse life is not about possessions and valuables but values. How about telling your wife you don’t need to acquire all you see just to please your eyes and emotions. Is that not what led Eve and the whole world to this mess? ”And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Gen 3:6. Tell your spouse to run away from “ things that are pleasant to the eye but not the soul”
7. There is someone watching and more powerful than your spouse. Yes your spouse is the king, Prime Minister,President, Senator, Governor,General Overseer, Bishop,Snr Pastor, Judge, Managing Director, your spouse is not GOD.Your spouse is occupying that position for a temporary time only for today. He will not be there tomorrow.Your spouse is answerable to God! God is omnipotent, omniscient, omniscient . God sent Elijah to show he was watching. There is nothing you are doing that is hidden from God.It may be hidden from man, but not God . Remember David and Bathsheba? God is in charge of the universe and he is the God of Justice. God owns yesterday today and tomorrow.
8. You will pay ultimately pay for your action or inaction. “Ahab sat at home( inaction ) , Jezebel went out to take action . Read the result “So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it. 17 But the LORD said to Elijah, 18 “Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will be at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel, claiming it for himself. 19 Give him this message: ‘This is what the LORD says: Wasn’t it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth””And regarding Jezebel, the LORD says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel’s body at the plot of land in Jezreel.”1 King 21:16-19,24. How about that ?
Conclusion . No doubt It is important to maintain (fix) the peace in your house. It is important you make your spouse and children and grandchildren happy , but do it in a way that will will neither destroy your neighbour, nor incur the wrath of God. Do it in a way you will not destroy you yourself and your family ultimately. Do it in a way that will glorify God.
Shalom.
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