OPINION: God’s time or man’s trick? The truth behind delayed justice

God’s Time Is the Best: Or Just a Tool for the Manipulators?

“God’s time is the best.” You hear it everywhere. At funerals, at job interviews gone wrong, when someone is cheated out of a promotion, or when a young person loses a scholarship because the slot was given to someone more “connected.” It’s the phrase that keeps many quiet in the face of deep injustice. It soothes. It comforts. And sadly, it also deceives.

For so long, this phrase has been weaponized by those in power, especially in environments soaked in corruption and favoritism. They steal opportunities, manipulate outcomes, and then sprinkle this holy-sounding sentence on the wounds of their victims. It’s no longer just a message of hope—it’s a tool of control.

Ask a first-class graduate of engineering who passed all stages of a recruitment process only to find his name replaced by someone more “connected.” He waits months, hoping for justice, only to be told by a senior official, “Don’t worry, God’s time is the best.” But the truth is: it wasn’t God who blocked his path. It was man. It was a system rigged against merit. It was a plan executed by people who claim to believe in fairness but act in direct opposition to it.

The same story plays out in widow support programs. A woman loses her husband during a protest and is promised relief by local authorities. She is listed among beneficiaries of a cash transfer scheme—only for that list to later be filled with relatives of politicians. When she dares to ask why, she’s told by a church elder, “Be patient, God’s time is the best.” But how can people rob you, hand your portion to others, and then ask you to pray for it back?

Even in education, the phrase is deployed as a bandage for betrayal. A brilliant student is nominated for a scholarship. Her community celebrates. Her teachers beam with pride. Then suddenly, her name disappears. No explanation, just silence. A pastor visits the home and says, “Maybe God is preparing something greater.” But everyone knows someone else was planted in her place. That wasn’t delay—it was deliberate.

And churches themselves are not innocent. Several leaders of major congregations have acted the same God they preach. They rig internal elections. They promote their children into leadership roles. They turn ministries into family businesses. When members grumble or feel shortchanged, they take to the pulpit and declare, “Brethren, be still. God’s time is the best.” But who is really moving the pieces here? Is it God—or are they the ones playing God?

Some men of God who were themselves elected into leadership positions based on merit have now become obstacles to others. When it’s time to step down, they cling to office—not because God asked them to remain, but because they have not yet positioned their children or chosen successors. They delay transitions, shift rules, and manipulate constitutions while telling the congregation to “wait for God’s appointed time.” Yet they are the ones holding the clock. What they fear is not divine disapproval—it is losing control. And instead of grooming the best candidate, they wait until their bloodline or personal loyalist can fill the seat. Is that really God’s time, or just man playing God?

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In one church, a choir director who had served faithfully for many years was suddenly removed and replaced by the pastor’s son, fresh from abroad. No reason. No process. When concerned members raised questions, they were told not to question authority but to trust that “God lifts in His own time.” But it was clear the lift came from nepotism, not the heavens.

And then there are the friends. The ones who pray with you. Eat with you. Encourage you to apply for a public contract or opportunity. You put in the work. You win fairly. And just when you think your time has come, they quietly replace your name with that of a fellow party member or someone with more political weight. The worst part? They still call you after, with that same phrase on their lips: “Don’t worry, God’s time is the best.” But you both know it wasn’t heaven that denied you—it was the hand of betrayal dressed in friendship. And again, we’re forced to ask: is it really God’s time—or are people simply playing God and asking us to bless their misdeeds?

This is not an argument against faith. Divine timing is real. But not every delay is divine. Some delays are designed. Some “closed doors” are shut by greedy hands, not by a sovereign God. And the sooner we stop using “God’s time” to cover human wrongdoing, the sooner we can begin to separate true faith from false submission.

It happens in contracts, in promotions, in marriages. A woman is led on by a man for years. Then he turns around and marries someone chosen by his family. His excuse? “God’s time.” But she knows it wasn’t about time. It was about cowardice. About double standards. About selfishness cloaked in spiritual language. And when society echoes the line back to her, she’s made to feel that questioning it is a lack of faith.

Ironically, the loudest preachers of patience are often those who never waited themselves. They used shortcuts, backdoors, lobbyists, and bribes to reach where they are. Now they urge others to “trust the process.” They urge the cheated to “remain calm,” while they enjoy stolen blessings and call it favor.

We must start calling things what they are. “God’s time is the best” should not be a blanket thrown over injustice. It should be a declaration of hope, not a defense of evil. Let us stop baptizing corruption and calling it God’s will.

Because if we truly believe God is just, then we must act justly too. If we believe He sees all, then we must stop lying in His name. If we want to see real change, then faith must go hand in hand with accountability.

God’s time is indeed the best—but let’s not insult Him by blaming Him for our own wickedness.

And the next time someone consoles you with that phrase, pause and look closely. Ask yourself—not in bitterness, but with clarity and courage—is this truly God’s time? Or is it just the person next to me, playing God in my situation?

AUTHOR: Abidemi Adebamiwa

Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

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