It’s not about your gift

By ‘Salt’ Essien Nelson

Giving is tough especially when you don’t have enough yourself. Maybe you do but I don’t at this time of my life really have that ‘spare cash lying around with nothing to use it for!’ Giving in spite of our own needs…giving even while our own needs go un-met is truly a Grace-assisted assignment. But experience has taught me that if you are truly led of God such gifts bring forth much fruit; fruit that will astound you.

Philippians 4:17 outlines this for us: ‘But though I appreciate your gifts, what makes me happiest is the well-earned reward you will have because of your kindness.’

You see? When God nudges you to give to His work in church or to one of His children, it’s not about your gift really. It’s about you. It’s about a reward He is trying to set you up for. I can testify boldly to this truth.

So next time God asks you to sow a ‘gift’ into something or someone, just do it. Then stand back in faith and watch your seed bring forth its fruit. Because that’s what really makes the scripture below come true in our lives:

Philippians 4:19: ‘And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.’

Ordinarily, almost all of us like to claim the blessings promised in this verse on its own but we really need to step back and read it in the context in which it came up! Paul was praying these words over people who had been helping him. Go back to start reading from verse 10 of that same chapter and you will understand better. And I also pray that the more we understand the more our hearts would change about this truth.

Because it’s not about our gifts.

It’s about our being channels of God’s loving provision.

And personally, I love being God’s little helper because He never forgets a good deed done. Plus, giving sacrificially makes me more like Him; which exactly is one of the most critical points about this faith that we share.