With all due respect with no attached condescension whatsoever, the principle of ‘God helps those who help themselves’ makes nonsense of a national day of prayers with the view of beseeching God to turn around our dwindled fortunes.
In Ghana, God has given us copious natural resources (time and space won’t allow me to enumerate), and what have we done with the superfluous natural resources? I am afraid, nothing.
“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4).
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied” (Proverbs 13:4). So, go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise (Proverbs 6: 6).
I am afraid, God does not fix frail economies, critical thinking and diligence do turn things around. For, He (God) has given us the brains to think for ourselves. So, if we refuse to apply our God given gumptions, and end up in a mess, it is not down to God to fix the economy.
In fact, our sorrowful state is comparable to that of the parable of the talents in Mathew 25: 14-30.
Indeed, our situation is analogous to the parable of the talents. In the said parable, a man was going on a journey. He called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more. His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.
Here you have what is yours. But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
So he took the talent from him and gave it to him who has the ten talents.
To everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mathew 25:14-30: ESV).
What is the moral lesson in the preceding parable?
Actually, we can take a lot from the parable: it tells us that we should apply our God given brains and work hard and invest wisely. We must change our attitude. We shouldn’t be afraid to take bold decisions. We must do away with procrastination. We should do away with incompetence, sleaze and gargantuan corruption.
I suggest if we have failed to use our God given brains, we should leave God alone. Why must we expect God to do everything for us? I guess God is tired of us because of our lousiness.
“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labour” (Proverbs 12:24).
The Holy Book(the Bible) makes it clear that whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty(Proverbs 28: 19).
Why must we expect God’s interventions when we are bent on paying dubious judgment debts, instead of putting such funds into meaningful developments? Must we count on God when our corrupt officials keep on emptying the national coffers without any accountability? Why shouldn’t we leave God alone if we keep electing corrupt, heartless, incompetent, visionless and useless leaders?
“God helps those who help themselves”. But, I am afraid, we are not prepared to help ourselves. So why must we expect help from God?
“We are not purposeful as a nation, are we?”
K. Badu, UK.
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