Parents have been advised not to on their own corrupt their children by attaching a prize to every errand or home work assigned to them before they are encouraged to fulfil their obligations.
The Senior Pastor of Charis Family International Church, Pastor Tunde Jaiyebo, who gave the counsel, during a ministration at the Charis Headquarters Church, Mokola, Ibadan, said, some parents who are fond of gratifying their children on every assignment given are sowing the seed of bribery and corruption in them.
He said: “Don’t teach your children bribery and corruption, let them do their work without attaching any benefit to it. Every assignment given to a child is an obligation they must fulfil. There is a place of reward, but not as a way of bribing them before they fulfil an obligation.”
The cleric, warned that the type of up upbringing a parent gives a child is what moulds his or her character, adaptation and response to future endeavours, saying, the resultant effect of a “corrupted upbringing” is seen in some of the people who occupy certain privileged offices today, but won’t carry out their duties and obligations they are being paid for, until they collect a bribe.
He contended that, in their schools, the teachers don’t promise them anything or offer to give them gifts before the children do their class works, “but these same children, some of them in their various homes won’t do their work until their parents promise to give them a gift, this is wrong,” Pastor Jaiyebo said.
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He said every child must be brought up properly to become the family’s good ambassador in future, while he also counselled Christians parents to equally identify with a local church, through which they acquire godly principles from pastoral teaching and guide to raise a good home.
He admonished the congregation further in his ministration entitled: “The Power of Correct Church Membership,” being the continuation of a series of teachings under the same topic, with scriptural texts taken from Ephesians 3:10; Psalm 100:3 and Colossians 1:18, saying Christians as the sheep shepherded by Jesus Christ, whom, he said has appointed pastors to preside over local churches, adding that, “there are benefits for every member who fulfil their obligations.”
“There are some gains, benefits and obligations that come with being a member of a church, you must know them. Obligations focus on accountability, commitment, duties, assignments. But what happens in many churches is, some are committed and discharge their obligations well, they pay tithes and offerings and are regular in church attendance, but are ignorant of the benefits that should accrue from them,” Pastor Jaiyebo said.
This, the minister said, “leads to frustration for the committed ones,” while he informed that, “some other category of people discharge their obligations too but since they are not well connected, they don’t get the benefits,” then, the third category of people he said, “don’t discharge any obligation and they want benefits.”
The cleric reflecting on the promise of God, referencing the Book of Isaiah 1:18, said, “you can’t be in a church and in three months your life doesn’t change, while he substantiated his submission quoting from the Book of Job 36:11: “If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.”
Pastor Jaiyebo, however, warned that there are consequences of expecting benefits without discharging obligations, warning that, it is an abuse of the system, and a mere entitlement mentality by those who, he said, “see a privilege as a right which must be enforced.”
He said this category of people display such an act because “they lack integrity, and don’t have a knowledge about the operational mechanisms of the church. “They want to milk the church dry; it is a goaty mentality,” as he said, such people, referencing the Book of Ezekiel 34:17-22, are like “some sheep that eat from the food and mess up the rest, drink water and mess up the left over.”
In the referenced scripture, the Bible teacher said: “What God is saying here is, be careful how you treat fellow church members; don’t make your food make others stumble; don’t joke with Christians and your fellow church members. You don’t cut your nose to spite your face.”
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Speaking further, he said, rather than attending a church and be ignorant of its benefits, the minister said, “church is a place of transformation. You must be transformed, encouraged and be better made. Don’t allow what is happening on the social media to change your mentality about church. In a church, the sheep are fed and supplied with nourishment, what will sustain your life. It leads to all round development. You are not just fed spiritually, you are nurtured to fulfilling your purpose. You are fed mentally.
He charged that as stated in the Book of 1 Peter 2:2: “Every Christian must be like a new born baby who desires to be fed. You must desire to be fed. It is not only good sermons, but other nourishments mentally, spiritually, academically and career wise. If you are not well connected, you can’t enjoy the benefits. You must avoid eating out too much, eat in your home – your local church.”
According to the Book of Jeremiah 3:15, he said, God has promised: “I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
To this effect, the congregation and every Christian were charged that it is the responsibility of a pastor to feed the flock with knowledge and understanding, while they were also encouraged to properly chose the local church they attend, and check if the church has the capability to feed them well.
“You have the right to be well fed and be nourished. You must not have spiritual kwashiorkor, but be well fed all round. You must understand your purpose and vision. When you have understanding, you have made it. Why don’t we have solution? Lack of understanding. You must belong to a church and enjoy all its benefits,” Pastor Jaiyebo said.
