By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The general overseer and founder of God’s Greater Grace General Assembly, Intl Incorporated, Benin, Rev Sunny Akenbor, has admonished believers in Christ not to allow their problems to overwhelm them but should, despite their circumstances, show some level of kindness to others.
He gave the advice while speaking on the topic: “Oh Lord, show up in my case (frustration) during the Sunday church service in Benin City.
Rev. Akenbor said some believers, when passing through difficult times, they allow it to overwhelm them and thereafter, transfer the aggression on those around them.
Citing King David whose city was invaded, wives, children including others taken captive, he said that, he (David) was not dampened by the circumstances, yet he rendered help to a dying man in his bid of securing the lives of those held captive.
“And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
“And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
“So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
“Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
“And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
“And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
“And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
“So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
“And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water”, 1 Samuel 30:1-11
He said besides David, Joseph was also a reference point who showed little kindness despite being in a very tough situation.
He said Joseph was incarcerated based on false allegation and that while he was there, he was able to interpret the dreams of the chief Cupbearer and the chief Baker to Pharoah adding that, he didn’t allow his own predicament to becloud his sense of helping others in need.
“The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
“After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
“When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
“So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
“Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams”, Genesis 40: 4-8
The clergyman went on to say that Peter too, despite toiling all night long without a catch, when he was asked by Jesus to give out his ship for evangelism, he obeyed adding that his simple obedience led to a net breaking catch.
“And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
“And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
“And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
“Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
“And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
“And when they had this done, they in-closed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake
“And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them.
And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink”
“, Luke 5:1-7.
The general overseer while stating that frustration and anxiety are real and are leading to increasing rate of suicides and other health challenges, urged christian faithful to always look unto God for solutions rather than indulging in drunkenness and others means to suppress it just as he reiterated that they must not vent their frustration on anyone but must learn to put up a godly attitude at all times.
He said taking to drunkenness and others means can only work in a short term while the problems still remain unresolved.
