The gods of wealth.

"Mother, please tell us how you and your family leave your old religion?"

And this is the story she tells us.

Our great-grandmother and her family wanted to be rich and powerful. They know that if they are rich, they will also be powerful. This desire consumed them. They wanted to be the richest people in the village. They wanted to control and get respect from everybody. Then they got this crazy idea that they could become rich by approaching the gods of wealth.

How to approach the gods of wealth? The eldest brother told them that they could not approach the gods directly but indirectly. The gods of wealth will bless them and make them rich if they made sacrifices. They have to sacrifice animals such as goats, cock, to please these gods. Being the eldest in the family, they obeyed him. They arranged for him to make the necessary sacrifices. He did just that.

And the amazing thing was that it worked. They became quite rich by the standard of the village they lived in. Everything they did was successful and they became richer and richer. They were very happy as they control the village and got the respect they wanted. They were the most powerful family in the village. However, their power and happiness did not last long.

The eldest brother who made all those sacrifices suddenly died. The death was a big loss but the bigger problem was that he never taught them how to make those sacrifices. Now, nobody in the family knows the system and ways to make those sacrifices to these gods of wealth. Since they do not know-how, they stopped making the sacrifices.

After they stopped making the sacrifices, members of the family started suffering from unknown and strange diseases. Then the worst thing was that one by one of them died after suffering terrible illnesses. Strange things began happening in the family. They were rich and powerful but they were afraid.

Looking at the terrible sufferings and then ultimately the death of your near and dear love ones terrified the family. They don't know what would happen next. They were afraid. Then what they were most afraid of happened, the death of the great grandmother.
After a family discussion, being a practice in those days, they decided to ask divination from the people they consider knowledgeable about these things. These diviners, after they have made certain sacrifices and calculations, all of them told that these gods of wealth were angry with them.

They were angry and punished them because they no longer received the things required by these gods. Our grandmother and her surviving family members were afraid when they heard this. They realized now that they no longer know how to satisfy and please these gods. These diviners told them that if they could not feed and satisfy these gods, they will kill all of them.
They should, therefore, find ways and means to satisfy these gods.

But how to satisfy these gods? They no longer know the way or system to do so. Then, somebody told them that the only way to save themselves was to leave everything - material wealth and also system and beliefs. So, left with no options, our grandparents decided to leave everything - divinations, sacrifices, old beliefs and systems, and all material possessions.

So, to avoid being pursued and punished by these angry gods of wealth, they left everything - their house, landed properties, gold, silver, jewelry, costly traditional dresses and adornments, and all their belongings. They fled empty-handed, with only the clothes they were wearing, to another village to start a new life.

It was in this new village, starting from scratch that they slowly and gradually build up their life. It was here that they converted to Christianity and accepted Jesus as their Savior. It was in this village that I grew up. My grandfather passed away before I was born. Grandmother passed away a committed Christian in good old age and I still remember her beautiful face. So, the whole family converted to Christianity and accepted Jesus as their Savior.

I am very happy that my grandparents took that decision. Jesus saved the family from the gods of wealth and blessed us abundantly. Today, we are a comparatively well-to-do and respected large Christian family in the village. Many of us had left the village because of marriage, jobs, etcetera but we have not abandoned the faith.

What happened to my grandmother and her family, probably a hundred years ago, is also happening now. Many people wanted to be rich and powerful. Moreover, they wanted to get it fast. They can't wait. They will do anything and go to any length to achieve it. They'll make all the sacrifices to the gods of wealth - time, health, family, children, faith, everything.

And the amazing thing is that once you make those sacrifices, you will get what you wanted. But at what costs? If you count the costs, the result is alarming. Our grandmother saw the sufferings, terrible death of her dear and loved ones. If you make those sacrifices to the gods of wealth, you will see sufferings, terrible physical and spiritual death of your dear and loved ones.

Our grandmother and her family left everything to save their lives and that of their children. They suffered initially but ultimately God blessed them and they prospered spiritually and materially. You can also stop sacrificing to the gods of wealth to save your life and that of your children and ultimately God will bless you and you will prosper spiritually and materially.