Ɔsɔfo regye ne fans!

Ok, so this is my first blog that has a title in twi... but kindly allow me to talk a little before I explain and translate it. 

Some of my classmates and I were casually discussing the topic of glorified men and women of God who basked in being popular, being rich, being influential, being ogyaceous (Holy Ghost fire filled), being Mamas and Papas, being powerful. Then one of them chipped in a statement he was making, "...Nyame regye ne glory na Ɔsɔfo regye ne fans!" Of course, we laughed, it was funny, it was true for a lot of us too.... "God is taking His glory, and Pastor is taking his praise!" literally translated.

I'm so grateful to all the readers of my blog, it was such an encouragement to see all the comments that flowed on Facebook and my blog after my first posts. It was amazing. Finally being publicly heard AND appreciated was exhilirating! It was a dream come true and none of the needed cost I imagined to bring such about was part of this package. And when I got those big ups from my mates, my seniors - that was heartwarming, and also felt better than eating garden egg stew made with agushie and freshly boiled rice on a hungry day after being beaten by the rain and having just finished a hot bath with water at the perfect temperature. I must say, I was soooooo grateful to God, ɛɛ? I was sooo grateful I couldn't stop thanking Him, even in the responses to the comments I received...

Then later, I had to make a conscious effort to give God the credit in the response to the comments. I'm not saying that was bad, no... I encourage people, old and young to give God praise and credit for their accomplishments even when it doesn't come naturally... which I did for some of the comments... But then when I remembered the joke I just shared with you (I hope it sounded funny, but don't worry if it didn't, I don't think it was set too well to be seen as one, and some jokes are better heard than read...but really that day it was seriously hilarious! Trust me...!), and I relived the rush of delightful emotions that raced through me at the joy of getting all the responses (comments and likes alike) to my blogs... I started to look at myself... and felt silly, cos really... the joke was on me....

"Well," you could say, "at least you're not acting like that so-called Pastor and so-called Prophet... not forgetting Bishop fill-in-the-blank-space too..." Yes, I may agree with you... I may not be acting at all like them... but the readings we had at our last Evening Devotion (our daily exclusive time with God as a family) even threw more light on it. Allow me to share some of it with you:

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

1 Corinthians 4:2-8 (NIV)

I may have not openly displayed my pride and maybe arrogance, and I have at least made a conscious effort to prevent all seedlings of such from rooting, and sometimes even germinating... but as Paul put it, my conscience is clear, though I may not be able to trust that either. God judges me, and will bring to light my motives for all these, whether good reasons, bad reasons, reasons for the greater good, reasons that feed my utterly selfish ambitions, reasons that please God and give Him exclusive credit...

I once told a child at Sunday School that pride starts from the heart, and to God, it's still pride even if undisplayed for others to see or whether we openly thank Him simultaneously... he tried to argue that out with me...and I'm wondering if his argument applies to me now? Do I hide beneath false humility, whilst parading with grandeur in the secret places within me? Do I busy myself pointing fingers at all the other Workers in God's vineyard when I am no better...? Am I more concerned about what people think than what my God thinks...? Do I keep in mind that when I receive my praise from God it will be the real deal, with all my motives, and the things hidden in darkness including my thoughts brought to bear on it....? Would I be told by our Most High God that I boasted about what I received as if I did not... in my thoughts and in my heart...? And what about all the other areas in my life... social, moral, spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, academic, at home, at church, at school, online... as separable units and as subsets and supersets of every other unit...? Would it be said, without jest, that Nyame regye ne glory na (Ofosua) regye ne fans... in the all-exposing light... on the final Day... ??

...and then I ask....

...what about you...? Yes, you???