And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Rom 8:28-30NIV
Nobody believed that Ugochukwu will one day show interest in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was not the kind of unbeliever that persecuted his wife. In fact, he would be the one to remind her that time was running out against her for church, even though Helen felt he was trying to hurry her out so he could bring in one of his numerous girlfriends. He was a heavy drinker but was never seen drunk. That has remained a surprise to all his friends. Some of his friends stole money from their wives but Ugochukwu drank from his salary. He was not into taking hard drugs but a heavy smoker of cigarettes.
Helen tried all she could to make him to change but it turned out futile. It was his drinking and smoking habits that forced her to leave her mother church to her present church. The pastor of her new church had time to visit and pray with her husband. One funny thing was that Ugochukwu gave rapt attention each time the pastor came but immediately after he would join his friends at the drinking place.
He was also into gambling but she only heard when he won some money. she knew that he won if he came home with jumbo sized bread and “suya” for her. It was her pastor that asked her to stop rejecting his gifts and to also stop quarreling with him if he returned late.
If not for the encouragement of his pastor and his wife, Helen would have left Ugochukwu for Ukachi, her former boyfriend. Ukachi was married too but complained that his wife was giving him problems as well. Helen and Ukachi felt that they made a mistake by not getting married. That was the point they were when Helen met Pastor Ike and everything changed. She started giving more time to God and church activities and Ukachi returned to his wife. Unfortunately, the battles in her own home persisted.
One midnight Ugochukwu got up from bed and went to sit outside. He stayed like that for a long time and refused her entreaty to come inside. He stayed there until it was daybreak and then went to take his bathe, dressed up and sat down in the living room. It was a Sunday morning and so she also dressed up for Sunday service.
Not wanting anything to distract her with a long discussion, she stepped out to church without saying anything to her husband, but she was surprised to see her husband walk into the church right behind her. She did not know how to respond but went over to join the church workers’ prayers. However, that was how Ugochukwu started attending church.
From that first day, he was never late to church and he asked many questions during the Sunday School session and the pastor did his best to give all the answers. He asked the most questions on the day that the pastor discussed tithing and offerings. In fact, at one point Helen asked him, “Are you the only one in the church? Let others say something too.”
One obvious change since Ugochukwu started attending church was that he stopped drinking and smoking. It was clear that he was no longer into gambling and so the family had more money and peace of mind. But one night he woke Helen in the middle of the night and asked for her attention.
“Sweetheart, since that day the pastor discussed tithing and offering, I have been receiving a message from the Holy Spirit”.
Helen sat up to hear what the Holy Spirit had told her husband who has been only few months in the Lord.
“I believe that Holy Spirit is telling me that ten percent is too small to give for God’s business in the church. He is asking me to give fifty percent of my monthly salary to God every month”.
Cold shivers ran throw Helen’s veins and she could only manage one sentence, “That cannot be the Holy Spirit.” She said and turned to sleep.
To her alarm Ugochukwu went on to tell the pastor what he believed that God told him. She did not know what the pastor answered him but at home she tried to explain to him that the voice he heard was not from God.
“My dear, I don’t know why you are finding it difficult to believe me, but you remember how I squandered my money in those days on gambling, alcohol and smoking. You could not stop me. Why are you trying to stop me now, that I want to serve God with my resources?”
Helen had tried to control her temper but this time, she lost it. “Must you always want to torture me and our children? Yes, those days you squandered your salary and I and the children suffered. So, you want to return us to the suffering again by giving the pastor half of your salary.”
“Did I hear you right? So, you believe that the money we give to the church is given to the pastor?”
“If not him, who else?” Helen thundered back.
He never talked about it again. She knew him that when he kept quiet that way he would proceed with his decision and there was nothing she could do. So, she took out time to visit the Pastor’s house and, even she herself was shocked the kind of words she used at the pastor.
“So, you want my husband to hand you over his salary. How is his family going to survive? You have brainwashed my husband and you think it will work for you?”
She said many other things that accused the pastor of things she was sure was not true, but she was doing everything that the pastor will reject the fifty percent from her husband. After her noisy ranting she walked away angrily.
She did not tell her husband where she went but she heard him talking with the pastor over the phone. He left the house and returned three hours later.
“So, you went to insult the pastor. You said it was the pastor that deceived me to give all my money to the church. Is that the kind of Christian you have been? Listen to me; I am not giving my money to the pastor and the pastor cannot stop me from giving my money to my God. I will go ahead to give the money and if you don’t like it, go find another church because I must remain in that church.”
That was how it stood and he proceeded with giving the money even though the pastor tried all he could to discourage him.
“Pastor, I am not giving my money to you. Your responsibility is to record the money I brought. I used to waste more than that amount when I was living in sin”.
Helen felt vindicated when Ugochukwu was laid off at his work place after three months. She went ahead to mock him and the pastor before whomever would listen.
The next shocker was that Ugochukwu told the pastor to provide him with tracts because he believed that God wanted him to spend his entire life preaching to the unbelievers in order to win them to Christ. Helen now became an instrument of persecution. She denied him food and mocked him almost every day he comes back from evangelism. This did not discourage Ugochukwu.
He had a friend who was a senior military officer and he decided to focus on Captain Tanko until he repented and join him in church. They used to be drinking and gambling partners and so all his officers knew Ugochukwu.
Tanko would tell his officers to tell Ugochukwu that he was not at home but he would warn the officers, “Liars will be in hell fire. You must not lie to me.”
After a while, Tanko surrendered. He would sit down and let Ugochukwu say all he wanted and then pray for him. Tanko would generously give him enough money that could carry him for every week. Tanko’s wife was happy with the new development and she would fill her car with food items and ask one of the officers to send them to Ugochukwu’s house. In no distance time, Ugochukwu no longer lacked anything for himself and family.
It was about this time that there was a military takeover of the government and Tanko was appointed a military administrator. Tanko was from northern Nigeria and he was appointed the military administrator in a southeast state. He could not speak Igbo language and have little knowledge of the terrain. While he was narrating all this to his wife, she reminded him that his posting was in the state of his friend, Ugochukwu. Tanko was too happy to appoint Ugochukwu as his personal assistant.
The last time I heard Ugochukwu’s performance in his church, God has used him to transform his church. Many people who sought the attention of the military administrator knew that they needed to join Ugochukwu in church and by this many souls were won to Christ.
How would you respond if you were in Ugochukwu’s position?
Do you think that Helen was right in her position against the 50% gift to the church?
I will love to get your reactions
Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com
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