Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the venerated General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, recounted a distressing incident that took place during a meeting with senior pastors in a particular country, where he was publicly berated and condemned by one of the pastors.
While delivering a profound message on ‘Sanctification’ during the 72nd Annual Convention of the church, the octogenarian preacher revealed that it was his sanctified heart that enabled him to withstand such an attack with grace and humility. He emphasized that the human heart is inherently corrupt, as affirmed in Jeremiah 17:9, but through the power of sanctification, one can overcome the darkest of human impulses and demonstrate the true essence of faith and love.
As the General Overseer relived the painful memory with vivid details, he narrated the piercing moment when one of his senior pastors, in front of his peers, questioned his actions and expectations in a tone that resonated with loud audacity. The other present senior pastors, astonished by the brazen display of insubordination, could only tremble in disbelief, their faces etched with shock and discomfort.
Pastor Adeboye said, “Some years ago in the meeting of my boys, senior pastors in a particular country, one of the boys got up and began to talk to me loud and clear, what kind of man are you? I served you, I worked for you, any time you are coming to this country I will be the one to do everything. He kept on, and all the others were trembling, wondering what is wrong with this boy, who is he talking to?”
Adeboye described how he responded to the senior pastor’s outburst with a gracious smile, diffusing the tense atmosphere and prioritizing the pastor’s spiritual well-being over a potential escalation of the situation.
The General Overseer drawing from his deep understanding of sanctification and its ability to mend relationships, did not merely apologize for any unintended offense, but also humbly sought forgiveness from the senior pastor, acknowledging his desire to learn from the incident and exercise greater care in the future.
The General Overseer continued, “When he finished, I smiled. I know what I could have done; among my people, the Yorubas, the worst thing you can do to a fellow is to begin to remind him about how you fed him and clothed him. In Yoruba land they call it “iregun”. No Yoruba man can take that; he will ask you, “tell me how much everything you have done for me costs, I will pay you”.
I could easily have said this to my boy: boy you are talking to me? I’m supposed to be your dad, by the grace of God, I ordained you. I could have said, “alright, sit down, calculate everything you have ever spent for me, calculate the interest, I will pay you double; but get out of this church. I could have done that and destroyed his destiny.
What did I do? I said, “my son, I am very sorry, please forgive me. I will be more careful in the future.”
Reflecting on the day’s events in the privacy of his own quarters, Daddy G.O. recalled the biting words that had been directed at him earlier. He turned his thoughts inward, communing with his spiritual Father, God, acknowledging that he was unaware of his capacity to withstand such intense criticism with grace and composure. In a heartfelt moment of spiritual reflection, he expressed his gratitude for the strength and sanctification that God had provided him in that moment, underscoring the vital role that faith played in navigating the difficult situation.
He said, “That evening when I laid on my bed and I was reviewing the day, I just said to daddy, I didn’t know I could take that, thank you for sanctification.”
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