Fruitful Living
Men and women of faith – called to abound in the lord (Final)
We are accosted by fear because we do not know how we can face all these pressures and survive.
This, however, is the time to strongly trust in our Lord Jesus Christ by whose resurrection the Lord God our Father has categorically confirmed that Jesus is indeed Lord and Saviour.
This is the time to know that we are on the Lord’s side, we are standing on the Solid Rock – Jesus Christ Himself.
This is the time to show boldly by our lives that we need no argument; we need no plea; it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for you and for me. As Christians, we too are called into various ministries; we are not to be spectators, NO!! We are to be busy for the Lord – not busybodies, gossiping, bringing conflict, etc. No.
We are to be fully engaged for the Lord as He, by His Holy Spirit enables us. As we read in the Bible – we are called to be co-workers in the Kingdom; disciples of believers; engaged in evangelism; serve in the local church as deacons, deaconesses and other active workers; we are given the gifts of prophecy; we are to operate in all the spiritual gifts that the Lord in His wisdom has fully given us by His Holy Spirit.
How then do we as Paul admonish us, stand firm and let nothing move us? I would like us to see ourselves in the light of Eph. 6:10-18. Paul speaks to us to be strong in the power of the Lord, to always wear our spiritual armour and pray!!! He uses the word STAND four times between verse 13 – 14a.
- Take our stand against the devil’s schemes;
- Stand our ground when the evil day comes;
- Stand after we’ve done everything;
- Stand firm with our full armour.
What I learn is that it is all about our total dependence in the one who has called us into His Kingdom – Jesus Christ. We stand and remain immovable in Him and in His strength!
To Ponder:
Oh, it is hard to work for GOD, to rise and take His part, upon this battlefield of earth
And not sometimes lose heart!
Workman of GOD! O lose not heart, But learn what GOD is like, And in the darkest battlefield thou shalt know where to strike.
- Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
Saying no to sin becomes easier when love leads the way
Though each of us faces temptations periodically, saying no to sin should not always be a long internal debate. Saying no becomes easier when we remember that saying yes hurts someone whose love we cannot live without.
Love is a powerful motivator. When you deeply love someone, you do not want to disappoint them or break their trust. In the same way, when we truly understand God’s love for us, obedience becomes a response of love, not merely a religious duty.
Jesus did not die for us because we were perfect. He died for us while we were still sinners. His sacrifice at Calvary was the ultimate demonstration of personal, sacrificial, and unconditional love. Every drop of blood, every wound, and every moment of suffering was endured so that we could be forgiven, restored, and given eternal life.
When we keep the cross before our eyes, sin begins to lose its attractiveness. How can we casually embrace what nailed our Saviour to the cross? How can we take lightly what cost Him everything? This realisation does not produce fear—it produces devotion.
Living with eternal accountability
Romans 14:7–12 reminds us that we do not live to ourselves and we do not die to ourselves. Each of us belongs to God, and each of us will give an account of our lives before Him. This truth is not meant to terrify us, but to sober us.
Our choices matter. Our words matter. Our actions matter. Not because we are trying to earn salvation, but because our lives are meant to reflect the One who saved us. Christianity is not a casual commitment; it is a lifelong surrender.
Living with eternal accountability helps us make wiser decisions. It teaches us to think beyond the moment and consider eternity. It helps us resist temporary pleasures that can cause lasting damage to our spiritual lives and our witness.
Conclusion
No one is too wicked, too broken, too unlovable, or too far gone for Jesus to love. His grace reaches deeper than our failures, and His mercy is greater than our mistakes. The way to life is always open, and the invitation of grace still stands.
Walking in the way of life does not mean we will never stumble, but it does mean we will never walk alone. Christ walks with us, strengthens us, forgives us, and leads us forward. And as we keep our eyes on the cross, may our hearts remain anchored in the love that saved us and continues to transform us.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
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Responsibility extends beyond our homes to our environment and communities.
Allah says: “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth.” (Qur’an 6:165)
As khalīfah (stewards), we are entrusted to protect and preserve the earth. Unfortunately, activities like illegal mining (galamsey), poor sanitation, and deforestation have become threats to our land and water bodies.
Dr Julian Agyeman and Bob Evans (2004) in Just Sustainability argue that environmental justice is deeply tied to social equity we cannot claim moral uprightness while destroying the environment that sustains others.
Every responsible man must see the environment as an amānah (trust). Picking up litter, planting trees, conserving water, and speaking against galamsey are all acts of faith. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift.” (Bukhari, Hadith 2320)
True responsibility therefore includes ecological consciousness for to destroy the environmentis to destroy the future we claim to build.
5.1 Environmental stewardship under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana establishes environmental stewardship not merely as a governmental obligation but as a moral and civic duty of all citizens. It integrates environmental protection into the nation’s vision for sustainable development, justice, and intergenerational equity. Three key articles Article 36 (9), Article 41(k), and Article 269 outline this framework of responsibility.
1. Article 36 (9): Directive principles of state policy
“The State shall take appropriate measures needed to protect and safeguard the national environment for posterity; and shall seek cooperation with other states and bodies for the purpose of protecting the wider international environment for mankind.”
This article establishes that environmental protection is both a national and global responsibility.
It commits Ghana to sustainable use of natural resources including land, forests, water, and minerals for the benefit of future generations.
In essence, it means that every Ghanaian must act with intergenerational consciousness, ensuring that today’s development does not destroy tomorrow’s heritage. This principle directly condemns harmful practices such as illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and pollution.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
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