“Pastor, the company I drive for gave me a cash reward for not getting involved in an accident all through the year, is it okay to spend the money?”
I’m glad you asked, because spending that money would mean you protected yourself from accident all through the year, which we both know you didn’t.
I’ve learnt from Bishop David Oyedepo that it’s not all gifts or rewards that comes to us that is for our personal consumption. Sometime ago someone brought a seed to him and told him that it was for the work of the ministry. Although the person intended to give it to Bishop Oyedepo, but the envelope was addressed to the work of the ministry. One would expect that Bishop Oyedepo would tell the man to change the label on the envelope, instead, he took the cheque to the church accountant saying, “The seed is for the work of the ministry, I’m only a worker in the ministry”. That was the only reason why he transferred a seed that was supposed to be for him to the church account.
He has often shared a story of how he desired to give a Volkswagen Beetle to a missionary that came to visit him on foot. His exact words were, “Lord, you know that if I had a Volkswagen Beetle, I’d give this missionary”. Moments later, someone brought the same car to be sown as a seed to Bishop David Oyedepo. The moment they informed him about it, it didn’t even touch the key, he instructed his staffs to pursue after the missionary with the car and hand it over to him.
When it comes to financial prosperity in the kingdom, the test of paying tithe is not the only test you’d need to pass, you’d also need to pass the test of discerning what is not your own – even though it came to you. Years ago I once needed some amount of money to do something, but the money wasn’t forthcoming. After some days I was having a conversation with someone who needed a little amount of money to resolve an issue, although I didn’t have the money he needed, but I wished I could help him.
Moments later, someone gave me a cash gift that could fix that man’s problem. I could have easily saved that money while I looked for more to balance the money I needed, but deep down I had a nudging that the money wasn’t for me. That’s how I ended up giving the money to that man. I can’t remember if my need was eventually met that period, but looking back now, I also cannot remember being in a situation where my need wasn’t met. In fact, I can say that before needs arise, supplies are waiting for me.
We get this type of opportunities every now and then. Perhaps you haven’t really experienced financial favour all year, despite all your efforts, but you suddenly received a huge alert after you heard a sermon about paying tithe or giving to the poor, that alert couldn’t have been a coincidence. It was a deliberate act of God to see if you’d practice what you heard. Unfortunately, many Christians still fail that test.
What we call coincidence in the physical are oftentimes spiritual orchestrations. Anytime we receive positive knowledge or a revelation from scriptures, God takes advantage of that to promote us by giving us a challenge or a test. Christians who are not discerning miss it, and so a challenge that was meant to be an opportunity to elevate them just gets wasted. You desired to give somebody something, suddenly God grants you favour. But the moment the favour came, you forgot your desire and became selfish. For some people, even if someone reminds them, they still won’t perform that desire.
Let’s be discerning. Many people have missed great opportunities by possessing what is not their own. On the other hand, many people have entered into sworn blessings through discernment. Abraham entered into a sworn blessing when he attempted to sacrifice Isaac as God commanded. He must have concluded in his mind that Isaac was God’s property, so if God wanted him, he didn’t have a say in it. Bishop Oyedepo entered a sworn blessing when he agreed to give God his salary. He knew that whatever God wants was already for God in the first place.
Now, this is what you’d do with the reward from your company for not involving their car in an accident all through the year; put the entire money into an envelope, label it “THANKSGIVING FOR DIVINE PROTECTION ALL THROUGH THE YEAR”, then take it to church to be dropped into the offering basket.
If you do that, then you’re a wise person. If you spend the money, then be ready to protect yourself next year. That money is not your own, don’t let the world’s system deceive you.
I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.
Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!
#EmekaAnslem