The Provost of the West Africa Theological Seminary, Dr. Olufemi Emmanuel, has urged Christians to spend more time listening to God for instructions rather than embarking on fruitless endeavors that do not contribute to their spiritual growth.
He gave the counsel on Wednesday, August 26, during a solemn assembly of members of the school’s community
Referencing Isaiah 55:1–5, he stated that God is inviting His people to buy what costs them no money, adding that only God truly knows human needs.
He said, “Only God can truly define your need. What we think is our need is not our actual need. Having the money to buy something does not mean we need it. God has the correct definition of our needs, and our needs are what sustain our souls.”
According to the seminary leader, many people fail to show concern for their spiritual well-being. “Jesus had to be sacrificed for our souls because there is nothing a man can give in exchange for his soul,” he noted.
He said further, “The matter of our soul is very important to God. Whatever will build your soul, you should take it seriously. We should not labour for that which does not satisfy. When it comes to the matter of the soul, the provision God has made to nurture it should be taken seriously.”
Dr. Emmanuel observed that many people are meticulous about what goes into their stomachs, but not their souls. “People labour to satisfy their material and emotional needs, but when it comes to paying the price for the things that will nurture our souls, we treat it with levity.”
According to him, the main challenge for believers is not necessarily choosing bad things over good ones, but engaging in good activities that fail to contribute to spiritual maturity.
“Our enemies lie in doing things that are good but have no value to our souls,” he said. “Many of us are satisfied carrying out our religious obligations, but we are not deliberate in seeking those things that will make us grow spiritually. The kind of Christianity we practice is not what the Bible instructs us to do. We must be committed to that which nurtures and builds the soul. Things that don’t contribute to your spiritual growth are indirectly stealing from you. Spiritual growth requires deliberate effort.”
He emphasized that listening to God should be a consistent practice. “God is ever willing to share with His children. If you are not thirsty, you will not be deliberate in hearing what God has to say.
“God is more interested in talking to you than hearing from you. God wants us to be a listening community. Let it be our heart’s desire to ask God, ‘What are You telling me?’ It is through listening as me doing what God wants that we succeed in life and ministry. Faith comes by hearing.”
