By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Kodzi (V/R), Aug. 3, GNA – Reverend Dr Abraham Dovigah Akoto, Men’s Desk Officer of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG) on Sunday advised Christians not to measure success by material possessions.
He said because success in life today was being measured by material possessions, people felt ashamed when they “have not made it by worldly standards.”
Rev Dr Akoto stated this in a sermon he preached at the Edem Congregation of the Church at Adaklu Kodzobi in the Adaklu District of the Volta region.
The sermon, which was on the theme: “Set Your Hearts on Things Above” was taken from Ecclesiastes 2: 18 – 23, Colossians 3: 1 – 11 and Luke 12: 13 – 21.
Rev Dr Akoto said: “Even in the Church, we admire those who seem to be prospering without asking how their hearts related to God.
“The focus of many Christians today is entirely self-centeredness, selfishness and materialistic.”
Rev Dr Akoto noted with concern that today many people are dying from hypertension, stress or depression because of pressure “to make it.”
He posited that people were indulging in fraud and immoral activities just to prove something to society.
The Men’s Desk Officer continued that many rich people today are “living foolishly” like the man described in the Biblical story found in Luke 12: 13 – 21 forgetting that their wealth could not buy them life.
“Hard work is good, money is useful, but it is dangerous if we forget God in the process and if our hearts are set on these things alone, we are drifting from God,” he stressed.
Rev. Dr. Akoto reminded Christians that if they lived only to gather wealth alone, they could succeed in the eyes of people but would fail in the eyes of God.
He stated that some people had died and left huge properties behind, but their souls starved adding, “families fight over inheritance, children forget God and the supposed legacy becomes a curse instead of a blessing.”
Rev. Dr. Akoto told Christians to choose integrity over corruption at their workplaces and to practice forgiveness in their relationships rather than revenge adding “the world is watching us.”
He also told them to cultivate the character of their Master, Jesus Christ and be generous, compassionate and above all, love their fellow human beings who were in need.
The Desk Officer entreated them to seek and prioritize the things of God and lived each day in alignment with His will, values and kingdom purpose.
He exhorted them to set their hearts on things above not in theory but in practice.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah