Our lives and our nation Ghana are like a building. Every building has an architect associated with it. In the world there are two types of architects - God and man. Man designs and puts up buildings to withstand harsh and environmental conditions invariably standing the test of time. Interestingly, God is the designer and the builder of man’s life. So we can conclude that He is also the designer and builder of the nation Ghana. How far the nation has come including the accolade of achieving and sustaining peaceful democracy is the architectural handiwork of God. No doubt about that. It’s is an attestation that God loves you and the nation Ghana. Though we lost our President (President Mills) and it is very hard to understand but we have not lost God. May His soul rest in peace and May the good Lord receive him into Heaven. We need peace and unity now to move forward as a nation as we mourn and celebrate the life of our departed President. President Mills did his part and a great job so we can celebrate his legacy.
Now, the bible says every house is built by someone but God is the builder of everything (Hebrews 3:4). An architect is supposed to design and understand the plan for building besides the properties of the material with which to build, so a good work can be done to stand the test of time. In view of that, we know a building has two characteristics that will make it durable and able to withstand the test of time. They are the foundation of the building and the quality of material of which it is made. Our nation Ghana also has a foundation on which it is built on and a material of which it is composed of. For some people, the foundation is the credentials or the country’s resources as the country was not founded on Christian principles. The material of which it is composed of is the moral character of its leaders and the culture of the people fashioned according to the traditional or worldly accepted standards. Supposedly, for this category of people, they believe they are architects of their own destiny. They also believe Ghanaians are architects of their own destiny. Unfortunately, human beings no matter how skillful or intelligent we may be cannot be architects of our own destiny. The prime reason being we do not have a sustainable plan that can stand the test of time. In fact we do not know the future and so cannot foretell what will befall us so as to prepare strategically and well for it. For us on the opposite end of the destiny spectrum, we believe Ghanaians and the nation Ghana must bring God fully into the equation of nation building by declaring God as the architect of the nation. Though the country is predominantly Christian there has not been any official and public declaration of God being the architect of the country. The “national anthem” and the “pledge” all have elements of God in them but that is not enough to document God as the architect. When God is made the architect He will ensure that the right materials are available for nation building. The right materials include God-fearing leaders (like the late President Mills) and citizens and not the deceptive abundant resources. God is the only one who can provide such materials. With regards to God’s material provision for nation building, it is not about who is in power or who wants to come to power but whom God has chosen. Also, just as an architect provides concrete reinforced with steel rods to provide substantial support to the building so is God able to provide leaders and people to act as pillars to support nation building. However, the mindset quality of the people will determine whether the nation will crumble or survive the test of time. The bible says in Psalm 33:12 that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance”. Again the bible says in Daniel 11:32b that “...... but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits”. A strong nation is not a resource-endowed nation for such is not sustainable. But a nation whose spiritual, mental and physical dimensions are fashioned by God. The truth is that by ourselves (human resources or technology) we cannot build a strong nation to stand the test of time. God is the architect of our lives and the nation Ghana, so let us allow Him to provide an appropriate roadmap to a prosperous and sustainable destiny. God loves Ghana and wants to do something extraordinarily in Ghana. He says in Jeremiah 32:27 that “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me”.
Again God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn away from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”. We will need humility for God to be the architect of Ghana. Humility is simply giving up the individual interest for the interest of God in the nation.
You see it does not matter the magnitude of the peace campaign being propagated in the country, God is the only architect who can give us clean hearts, clean thoughts and clean hands to avert any regional or national conflict with disastrous outcome. The nation of Ghana needs God like never before and it is time we humbly go back to Him in perpetual prayers to evoke His Sovereign power to deal with the precarious situation the country is facing as the December 7 elections draws near. Peace is a gift from God. The presence of peace does not mean the absence of trouble. It just means containment or immobilization of the forces of evil by God. So let us embrace peace and detest personal, national or tribal vendettas for we are children of God and the nation needs us alive. The bible says in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”. God bless you.
Charles Horace Ampong
International Central Gospel Church Chicago
www.icgcchicago.com or www.charliepee.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/charlesampong