By Margaret Oraza
The Parish Priest of Saint Peter’s Parish, Low-Level, Makurdi, Rev. Fr. Bem Bito, has warned Christians in leadership positions against greed to make quick money at the detriment of the governed, because Jesus Christ did not die on the cross for Christian leaders to only grow rich but glorify God with their lives as ambassadors of the cross.
The priest who made this remark in his homily during a mass in Makurdi recently stressed the need for Christian leaders to live up to expectation as taught by Scriptures.
He said God has destined time for everything on earth, as such, Christians should learn to wait for their time to have the blessings they desire and stop envying others.
“Christians need to follow God’s step by step principle of life. The experiences we face today are designed by God to shape us for tomorrow. Life is not about being smart but about following God’s principles; not about making quick and fast money but waiting for God’s time. I, therefore, call on people in authority to regard leadership as an opportunity for service to God, they should not see their positions as opportunities for amassing wealth only for themselves. There is a difference between time and turn. Your time for something may pass but your turn to get that time will still come when it is God’s time,” he stated.
Bito further encouraged Christians from the gospel of Mark 10.35-45 to overcome Satan by not falling into the temptation of greed where admiration for pleasure, possession and power leads to envy of what others have, instead, Christians should trust God to bring their blessings at the right time He has chosen for them.
He pointed out that, when James and John the sons of Zebedee became envious and over ambitious to gain position for their selfish gains, they were called to order by the Lord, and asked to wait for God’s timing in order to serve God and humanity.