Fatal Misalignments

Sapphire cannot wait to get to the Pastor’s office, imagine how pleased the man will be that her family is making this generous donation to the Welfare fund! She cannot help but allow her imagination to run wild with her, what is Annan doing right now in Pastor P’s office? Probably seated, with his legs crossed sipping a cup of tea while the Pastor and his entire staff count the windfall.

She had always minded when Annan wants to go on his compassion extravaganza; giving money away like he has no family… but this time, even Sapphire is convinced that this is a sacrifice worth making… and when you think about it, God was faithful! He did bring them a very desperate buyer for the land didn’t He? Someone who wanted the land so badly that he paid exactly what they asked him for.

With what has been put away, to invest in the education fund for the children, no matter what happens, she feels safe now… There was great wisdom in keeping some of the proceeds she reasoned. After all, the others who brought their 100% still cannot hold a candle to her and Annan’s 50%. Even though the agreement was that everyone should bring a hundred percent of their proceeds, surely no one expected that they who sold such prime and large tract of land should bring 100%. This 50% from what she has heard doubles what everyone has brought combined. This feels so good!

Sapphire was so lost in thought that she didn’t even realize that she had gotten to the Church office! In her deep thoughts, she didn’t even notice that people were staring at her funny. As far as she was concerned she and her husband had broken the record as the highest givers in the entire church! I mean it is taking a lot of will power right now to be humble; will you blame her? Without doubt, every woman around will give anything to be her right now.

She just entered the reception and from the corner of her eye she could see Pastor P, he wasn’t smiling but her eyes were too glazed with confidence and pride for his demeanour to register. ‘Good afternoon Pastor P’, ‘Good afternoon Sapphire, how are you?’ “Very well sir! Please has Annan been here yet,” she enquires? (At the back of her mind she was wondering, why is he not here? Where did he make a detour now?) ‘Sister Sapphire’; Pastor P’s voice brings her back to reality. ‘Did you hear my question?’ ‘Sorry Pastor, I wasn’t listening, what did you say?’ ‘I asked if the money your husband brought for the land sale is all that there is?’ ‘Why is he even asking’ she wonders; anyway thank God they had discussed it at home before Annan left, and the agreement was that they will declare 50% as 100%.

‘Yes, Pastor P, we sold for… and we brought the entire amount’. ‘God has been good to us and it is an honour to be part of those who are able to put something in the till for this cause of the gospel’. She quips. ‘Sapphire, please think again before you answer my question; are you sure this amount is all that there is from this sale?’ By this time, she was becoming upset, why will he even ask? Who questions a good deed such as this one? Anyway, she will deal with that later; for now, ‘yes Pastor P, this is all.

Immediately, Pastor P’s countenance changed from not smiling to sad, as he opened his mouth, she couldn’t hear what he was saying anymore, because, for the first time, she noticed Annan’s shoes and his head wrap in the corner. What is going on here? But just as she opened her mouth to ask, she catches the last part of Pastor P’s speech ‘ …the feet of those who carried your husband’s body out are at the door to carry yours…’ As her eyes widened in surprise and fear rolled into one, it dawned on her that it was the last time she was ever going to see these people again; those were her last thoughts as she fell to the ground and died…

Fear overcome everyone? The debate was huge! Whoever died because they did a good deed? Why will people give so much of their money, not that the church bought them the land, they didn’t even contribute to the perfecting of the title deed now… she and her husband are dead, because they kept something back? Hmmm!

This story reads like something that can happen today in our fast paced world, reminds me of Hostages, Scandal or even The Fixer; only thing is this is not an episode of any of those series; this is real life in Bible times. The story of Ananias and Sapphira is found in Acts 5, and for me it is a story of fatal misalignment.

The debate between men and women has not ceased concerning this one; many insist that it is the New Testament version of the Adam and Eve fall in the garden. A lot of people say it was Sapphira’s plan to keep some of the money (if I was Sapphira; this version will probably be true); I mean we have children! If we don’t plan for them, what will happen to their future? Wives, do you see yourself here?

The other school of thought contends that the fault was Ananias’ that he was the one who did the math and suggested to Sapphira that they should keep part of the money. As a woman, I want to agree with this version, but I know again that if my husband was Ananias, it is more likely that the suggestion will be mine. Hmmmm.

What makes a couple agree to keep some of their money behind? I want to believe that it is probably because this was their largest investment, and they always meant to use it for the benefit of their children. It was their investment for a rainy day, and they probably were not part of the church at the point they made it.

So why couldn’t they keep part of the money? How is that even a sin? My conjecture is that it was not about keeping the money; it was more about wanting to claim to have not kept the money! This for me is a story on alignments! Be careful, what you agree to align with! Be sure that especially in those group meetings where everyone is making a pledge or ideas are been suggested, be sure please, to agree with your spouse before you align with the group.

As I recall, most of these meetings were not attended by the women, so it was probably at one of those meetings where the men were alone that they agreed to give 100% of their proceeds. It was a great idea at the time; the only thing wrong with it was that it was an idea hatched by men who only think one thought at a time. They reached that verdict not thinking about the implication to their families and circumstances…

However, it was a pledge or agreement and one that was entered in the name of the Lord so should have been honoured. The issue wasn’t that they kept stuff back I think the issue was that they broke the agreement and lied about it! Maybe they should have gone back to Peter and the others to tell them that they had changed their minds and wanted to keep something back. It would probably have generated some quarrel but at least they would have been up front with the others.

What did I learn? As Sapphire or Sapphira, I must ask questions to know the full extent of the commitments my husband makes. While I can disagree once it becomes a matter of an oath or pledge before God, then even though he had sworn to our hurt I may need to step back… #just saying.

However, it is my hope that we will be able to discuss scenarios and issues such as these even before they come up and agree on what we will do as a family. Alignments are very serious and should be treated as such; it is extremely important that we all know what we are dealing with before we swear to an oath, and we need to think and consider all things before we do.

So what if really, it was Sapphira’s fault? What if she insisted that they kept something back because it was the sensible thing to do? Hmmm, then at this point maybe Sapphira needs to learn to trust God that he will come through for her and the children and somehow find a way to honour her husband’s foolishness, sorry sacrifice. Whatever happens, the trick is never to go against the Lord Most High. Fortunately, we are in a dispensation where people don’t fall and die like Ananias and Sapphira did, however, should we take grace for granted? God forbid!

Be extremely careful who you will align with, be careful how you will align and most definitely, be careful to remember that your life is worth more than what others make it. Discuss the issues; be sure to be on the same page…