Abomination on My Altar

I was eager to go into the new year in high hopes of the fulfillment of plans in arrears. My 2022 was somehow bumpy, slow and didn’t really achieve much. As the year was going to an end, my heart was filled with doubts and fears. Fear of the unknown because I didn’t know what the new year 2023 would bring for me. But I placed my trust in God.

Most of my prayer points to God were centered around fulfilling my plans for the new year, about my personal life, my family and of course the church. I had been a pastor in a youth church for a couple of months and I wanted more grace, power and provision.

Just as I was praying more for the church, I heard a bold, angry and stern voice in my head responded to my request “EVERYTHING HAD BEEN GIVEN TO YOU TO ENJOY. IT IS UP TO YOU TO DO MY WORK AS IT SHOULD BE DONE, NOT THE ABOMINATION ON MY ALTAR”. Immediately I knew that was God. I was scared. I stopped my prayers and pondered on that statement. Shame filled my spirit especially for the last part, did God call me an abomination on His altar?

I couldn’t continue my prayers. I stopped and started thinking, what could God mean? What does it mean to be an abomination on His altar? Guilt engulfed me. I thought I had taken up that assignment in good faith and in total trust and obedience to God. I fast and pray before every service. I try to stay holy. In fact, before the resumption to my place of assignment, I had heard a lot of unglodly characters perpetuated by young pastors and would still climb the altar and preach. I had made up my mind to be different, so help me God. At least that was my decision.

From my human point of view, I was standing and righteous. But since God spoke, He knew more than I knew. He couldn’t be mistaking. I have searched and still searching to discover what He had seen in my life. It could be anything that I had grossly overlooked. I can only trust that God will continue to open my eyes to discover more of what He meant.

The word abomination could have different meanings to different people depending on how open we are to understanding and correction. I can only encourage you as my friends, colleagues and heaven bound candidates to search yourself. Of course that statement wasn’t for me alone.

There are countless ABOMINATIONS ON GOD’S ALTARS around the world. Those who are not doing Gods work the way He wants them done. Those who still sin and climbs the altar to preach. Those who steal church money and never returns it. Those with questionable characters but preaches the word with lying tongues.

We must repent and ask God for forgiveness of sins. We must pick up our bible, study and start to do things the way it pleases God and not how it pleases us and subject to circumstances. God wants to do more for us, through us and in us. We must be available and willingly submissive to his instructions.

To my fathers in ministry, elders, pastors, bishops and all clergies, let us remember that Gods work done in Gods way will have an earthly and an eternal reward.

Peace!!!

Olumide is a follower of Christ, a believer who has discovered that experiences in life are lessons for us and others to learn from. Olumide has found his purpose in writing to share life issues with a blend of biblical perceptions for us to learn. Check out more of Olumide's posts here.

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