(PART THREE)
GIVING IS LIVING
Success can hardly be said to be attained without financial success. At least, money is needed to meet basic needs. Money is nothing but a means of exchange for goods and services. Without offering any product or service therefore, one can hardly be entitled to money. I strongly believe that God wants us to have needs met. How would you create a product and want that product to suffer? If man cannot do it. God cannot either. Your child cannot ask you for bread and you give him stone.
“Beloved I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.”
Interestingly, God goes beyond meeting your needs which are basically food, clothing and shelter to meeting wants. The psalmist says “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” I believe that the main way to tap in this system is giving. It is those who sow in tears that reap in joy. On the contrary, the life of the tight fisted man is of a high temperature. The greatest man who ever lived said:
“Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For it is with the same measure you mete withal shall it be measured to you again.” The man who introduced this principle was certainly not poor by any standard. He had a special sleeping cabinet in his boat. He hired not just an ordinary room but an upper room for Passover. He even had a treasurer (Judas) to carry his money. His coat had so much quality that soldiers had to cast lot for it.
“Giving is not an activity. It is a work. Only those who take it as a work eat by it. It is not a hobby or a religious activity.”
Dr. David Oyedepo, in his book, “Breaking Financial Hardship”
“Sacrifice is the master key that turns the captivity of people’s finances any day, it is the key.”
Dr. David Oyedepo
Accordingly, being black should not make you lack but should make you act on this time tested principle. Oral Roberts, the founder of Oral Roberts University and the author of “Miracle of Seed Faith” calls this “The Blessing Pact Partnership with God.” This principle goes back to the post-flood era when the creator of the world himself said:
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter shall not cease”
(Genesis 8 v 22)
Barrister Paul of the New Testament puts it this way:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, that he shall also reap”
Your continual giving therefore produces a continual renewing of resources. We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. Clearly, the measure of life is not in its duration but in donation. The interesting part is that when you begin to operate this principle, you will realize that no man is your source. You will not look to receive from the person you gave because that person is not your source. Your question will shift from being “What is my source?” to “Who is my source?” God is. Not even your business or your employer is your source but God. God could however use any means that He pleases.
Another most interesting thing is that you may not get what exactly you gave. Remember that God’s ways are not our ways nor His thoughts are not our thoughts. God’s multiplication of what you give becomes a miracle for what else would you call a seed growing and multiplying or a baby growing in a womb. You may get something different that is a pressing need to you at a later time. However, your main need at the moment will be met. It is certainly more blessed to give than to receive! I do not get excited when I receive. I am on top of the world when I give. I understand that it is what I give that comes multiplied to me.
All over scriptures, the potency of giving is found. The widow of Zarephath had to give Elijah a cake of bread before she got an abundance of flour and oil. As an added advantage, her dead son was raised from dead to life. Peter had to give his boat before he got abundance of fish. That was notwithstanding the weather conditions and professional meteorological reports. A little lad had to give five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed 5, 000 men besides women and children. 7 loaves of bread had to be given to feed 4, 000 men. One of the first words man heard on creation is “Behold, I have given you…” Even somebody had to give his life before we could enjoy the abundance of salvation. God so loved the world that he did what? He GAVE! Abel’s offering was more acceptable because he gave the fattest of his flocks, but Cain, a tiller of the ground did not give the best. The very covenant that God had with Abraham was two fold. God said, “I will bless you” but it did not end there. It extends to: “Thou shalt be a blessing.”
One of the ways to give to God is to give to the poor around you. Even Jesus in the new testament said he came as the poor, hungry, naked and the prisoner but received no care. That was his appearance. As long as you do take care of the destitute on the street and the homeless under the bridges, you are doing it to God.
You may say it is quite difficult to imbibe a lifestyle of giving because the economy is harsh and your salary is not even enough to live on it. Actually, nobody is saying you should live on it, just give on it! And watch the wonders to come.
“Except a corn of wheat falls to the ground, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth much fruit”
“Give and it shall be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will men give into your bosom. For it is with the same measure that you mete that it will be meted out to you again.”
-Jesus Christ
Look at how King Solomon puts it:
“It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be made rich! By watering others, he waters himself.”
Proverbs (11:24 and 25)
“He that giveth to the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse” Proverbs (21:13)
“He that giveth unto the poor lends unto the Lord and that which he hath given, HE will repay him again.”
Proverbs 19: 17
By the way, the book of Proverbs has a depth of wisdom in it. It has 31 chapters, reading a chapter a month will therefore suffice. In Months like September, April, June and November, where there are thirty days, you could read two chapters on the last day of the month.
No doubt, your money represents your skill, your labour, your sweat and your effort. Essentially, your money is you and when you give of it, you give yourself. It is a form of total surrender since you recognize your helplessness and the inability of your circumstances to help you. You set in motion, higher forces to help you. Multiplication of your seed money therefore means multiplication of yourself. Your needs then become supplied according to God’s riches in glory, not according to your sweat and toil.
There is a parable of the talents. In that parable, a master gave his servants talents according to their abilities. To one he gave five, to another he gave two and to the last he gave one talent. The one-talent servant perceived his Lord to be self-serving and saved his money until his masters coming. This poor servant never realized that there could be no harvest unless something was sown and that there can be no increase unless something is released. What he had was a seed, not his harvest. There are many people like the one-talent servant; holding on to what they have. Yet God says we are not to concentrate on laying up treasures on earth; where moth and rust exist and thieves break in and steal. The decay and bacteria that comes upon cooked food kept for too long can teach us wisdom. We can learn the folly in amassing wealth for ourselves without distributing. Do not be like the red sea that stinks. It stinks because it takes in water without giving anything out. Even when God gave Israel manna, he clearly told them not to amass till the next day. My dear reader, you have to stop worrying about where tomorrow’s meal will come from, hand the worry over to God and do what he tells you to do. The interesting thing is that worry does not affect God, instead he makes a way effortlessly. Ask for your daily bread, not your weekly bread. Tomorrow has enough troubles of its own. A parable was told of a man who broke up his barns and built a new one to store up more goods. That night, his soul was required of him because he was not rich towards God. Amassing without distributing is counter-productive!
GIVING IS LIVING
Success can hardly be said to be attained without financial success. At least, money is needed to meet basic needs. Money is nothing but a means of exchange for goods and services. Without offering any product or service therefore, one can hardly be entitled to money. I strongly believe that God wants us to have needs met. How would you create a product and want that product to suffer? If man cannot do it. God cannot either. Your child cannot ask you for bread and you give him stone.
“Beloved I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.”
Interestingly, God goes beyond meeting your needs which are basically food, clothing and shelter to meeting wants. The psalmist says “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” I believe that the main way to tap in this system is giving. It is those who sow in tears that reap in joy. On the contrary, the life of the tight fisted man is of a high temperature. The greatest man who ever lived said:
“Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For it is with the same measure you mete withal shall it be measured to you again.” The man who introduced this principle was certainly not poor by any standard. He had a special sleeping cabinet in his boat. He hired not just an ordinary room but an upper room for Passover. He even had a treasurer (Judas) to carry his money. His coat had so much quality that soldiers had to cast lot for it.
“Giving is not an activity. It is a work. Only those who take it as a work eat by it. It is not a hobby or a religious activity.”
Dr. David Oyedepo, in his book, “Breaking Financial Hardship”
“Sacrifice is the master key that turns the captivity of people’s finances any day, it is the key.”
Dr. David Oyedepo
Accordingly, being black should not make you lack but should make you act on this time tested principle. Oral Roberts, the founder of Oral Roberts University and the author of “Miracle of Seed Faith” calls this “The Blessing Pact Partnership with God.” This principle goes back to the post-flood era when the creator of the world himself said:
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter shall not cease”
(Genesis 8 v 22)
Barrister Paul of the New Testament puts it this way:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth, that he shall also reap”
Your continual giving therefore produces a continual renewing of resources. We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give. Clearly, the measure of life is not in its duration but in donation. The interesting part is that when you begin to operate this principle, you will realize that no man is your source. You will not look to receive from the person you gave because that person is not your source. Your question will shift from being “What is my source?” to “Who is my source?” God is. Not even your business or your employer is your source but God. God could however use any means that He pleases.
Another most interesting thing is that you may not get what exactly you gave. Remember that God’s ways are not our ways nor His thoughts are not our thoughts. God’s multiplication of what you give becomes a miracle for what else would you call a seed growing and multiplying or a baby growing in a womb. You may get something different that is a pressing need to you at a later time. However, your main need at the moment will be met. It is certainly more blessed to give than to receive! I do not get excited when I receive. I am on top of the world when I give. I understand that it is what I give that comes multiplied to me.
All over scriptures, the potency of giving is found. The widow of Zarephath had to give Elijah a cake of bread before she got an abundance of flour and oil. As an added advantage, her dead son was raised from dead to life. Peter had to give his boat before he got abundance of fish. That was notwithstanding the weather conditions and professional meteorological reports. A little lad had to give five loaves of bread and two fishes to feed 5, 000 men besides women and children. 7 loaves of bread had to be given to feed 4, 000 men. One of the first words man heard on creation is “Behold, I have given you…” Even somebody had to give his life before we could enjoy the abundance of salvation. God so loved the world that he did what? He GAVE! Abel’s offering was more acceptable because he gave the fattest of his flocks, but Cain, a tiller of the ground did not give the best. The very covenant that God had with Abraham was two fold. God said, “I will bless you” but it did not end there. It extends to: “Thou shalt be a blessing.”
One of the ways to give to God is to give to the poor around you. Even Jesus in the new testament said he came as the poor, hungry, naked and the prisoner but received no care. That was his appearance. As long as you do take care of the destitute on the street and the homeless under the bridges, you are doing it to God.
You may say it is quite difficult to imbibe a lifestyle of giving because the economy is harsh and your salary is not even enough to live on it. Actually, nobody is saying you should live on it, just give on it! And watch the wonders to come.
“Except a corn of wheat falls to the ground, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth much fruit”
“Give and it shall be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will men give into your bosom. For it is with the same measure that you mete that it will be meted out to you again.”
-Jesus Christ
Look at how King Solomon puts it:
“It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be made rich! By watering others, he waters himself.”
Proverbs (11:24 and 25)
“He that giveth to the poor shall not lack but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse” Proverbs (21:13)
“He that giveth unto the poor lends unto the Lord and that which he hath given, HE will repay him again.”
Proverbs 19: 17
By the way, the book of Proverbs has a depth of wisdom in it. It has 31 chapters, reading a chapter a month will therefore suffice. In Months like September, April, June and November, where there are thirty days, you could read two chapters on the last day of the month.
No doubt, your money represents your skill, your labour, your sweat and your effort. Essentially, your money is you and when you give of it, you give yourself. It is a form of total surrender since you recognize your helplessness and the inability of your circumstances to help you. You set in motion, higher forces to help you. Multiplication of your seed money therefore means multiplication of yourself. Your needs then become supplied according to God’s riches in glory, not according to your sweat and toil.
There is a parable of the talents. In that parable, a master gave his servants talents according to their abilities. To one he gave five, to another he gave two and to the last he gave one talent. The one-talent servant perceived his Lord to be self-serving and saved his money until his masters coming. This poor servant never realized that there could be no harvest unless something was sown and that there can be no increase unless something is released. What he had was a seed, not his harvest. There are many people like the one-talent servant; holding on to what they have. Yet God says we are not to concentrate on laying up treasures on earth; where moth and rust exist and thieves break in and steal. The decay and bacteria that comes upon cooked food kept for too long can teach us wisdom. We can learn the folly in amassing wealth for ourselves without distributing. Do not be like the red sea that stinks. It stinks because it takes in water without giving anything out. Even when God gave Israel manna, he clearly told them not to amass till the next day. My dear reader, you have to stop worrying about where tomorrow’s meal will come from, hand the worry over to God and do what he tells you to do. The interesting thing is that worry does not affect God, instead he makes a way effortlessly. Ask for your daily bread, not your weekly bread. Tomorrow has enough troubles of its own. A parable was told of a man who broke up his barns and built a new one to store up more goods. That night, his soul was required of him because he was not rich towards God. Amassing without distributing is counter-productive!
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