I had heard stories of it before. I had even seen it in movies, but I never really thought it was a real thing until that day when they showed up at my office.
They were scantily clad, with loud hair, and chewing gum ever so noisily. They could hardly hide the mannerisms that gave us an inkling into their line of profession.
This is an orphanage. We have kids here. How can they show up looking like that, even if they are commercial sex workers? In fact, why are there here?
These were the questions that kept running through my mind as I watched them drop their donation of food supplies for the children in our orphanage.
I was fairly new in the organisation at the time and the entire occurrence really surprised me.
I hurried to inform my colleague about what was going on and she simply laughed it off. According to her, there was nothing strange about it. Commercial sex workers often came to perform their own version of CSR.
They didn’t joke with it at all. It was an essential part of their business to give back to the less priviledged so that they could continue to prosper in what they were doing.
Not only did they often come with donations, they would ask to receive prayers from the children (even if they couldn’t see the kids). That was the real catch for them. They believed that as they gave to the kids and received their heartfelt prayers, their prosperity was guaranteed.
You see, even though these people are operating in perverted wisdom, they understand very clearly the principle of giving and generosity. They really do get it – and sadly, more than many believers.
One of the biggest lessons I learnt from my father is generosity.
Growing up, if you wanted to get in trouble with my father, all you had to do was be unkind to the security man (gateman, as we call it) or forget to give him food. My father usually said that he would rather go without food than see his gateman or driver hungry. He would often give them much more than their salary – always tipping them and blessing their children. Sometimes, he would pay their children’s school fees.
When we asked my father why he was extra kind and generous to people, he said to us that asides walking in love, the extraordinary blessing of God over his life (and indeed any man’s life) was connected to the level of generosity he demonstrated. He said beyond that, he was sowing seeds of prosperity for his future generations. Wow!
I have seen the blessing of the Lord rest upon him in the most unusual ways, and this goes even beyond financial or material blessings.
Sometimes, when you sow into the lives of those who are not as priviledged as you are, what you reap may look different from what you sowed. You may sow money, and reap protection – as was the case in my father’s story.
Yesterday, I shared with you about the attack my family experienced in 2011. By the next day, the incident was all over the local news on television. The town was awake overnight because it sounded like there was a war going on. People assumed (or even concluded) that my family was dead.
Oh the celebration when they were found alive and unharmed! Amidst everything, it was the statement of a bricklayer who had worked for my father that really captured my heart.
He said “Sir, it is impossible for you to die anyhow. You have been too good to too many people. Their prayers over your life will watch over you.”
Wow. I don’t know about you, but even as I write in this very moment, I’m being schooled all over again on generosity. It is a powerful tool in the hands of God for your prosperity and protection.
I’ve heard one of my mentors testify about generosity in a similar way.
Generosity brings prosperity, but withholding from charity brings poverty.
proverbs 11:24 (TPT)
At this point, I’d like to state that prosperity includes, but is not limited to material wealth. There is something called prosperity of the soul (3 John 1:2) – peace, tranquility, soundness, completeness and so much more!
I have found out from Scripture that love and generosity are some of the things that matter most to the Father’s heart. It’s so important to Him that we are extensions of His hand of love and mercy. We must get intentional about searching for avenues and opportunities to be blessings to others.
It is a sure way to activate the blessing of God over your life. If you hold back from giving – in my father’s words, if you eat all you can and can all you get – you will ironically lead a life of want and lack. It’s a principle of God that can never be broken.
There are those who {generously} scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want.
proverbs 11:24 (AMPC)
We are not called to be containers that simply collect and store up things; we were created to be channels through which others are blessed.
There is only so much that a container can take. Once it’s full, it can’t take any more. Never mind that the things in it eventually expire and get rotten; as long as that container refuses to let go of what it has, it will never be able to receive anything fresh and new.
A channel on the other hand is ever receiving and ever giving. It never lacks because the more it gives, the more it receives. Its existence is a natural give-receive cycle. It stays fresh and refreshed – never stale!
That’s how God designed us to live – as channels through which His blessings flow to the world around us. He cannot bless us any more than we can give. We must create room in our lives for the blessing by giving.
Today, I want you to actively consider how you allocate and dispense your finances. Is there room in your budget for helping those in need? Do you support any charity organisations or causes?
Make room in your budget to be a blessing to others. You’ll reap a harvest – not just you – but your children too!
What are you learning from Proverbs 11 today?