A few years back, I sat close to a brother during a midweek service in church.

When it was time to give offering, I didn’t know how my neck was just turnioniown o, that was how I saw this brother fix a clean #500 note inside his offering envelope.

I exclaimed in my mind, how can someone give such a huge amount at ordinary midweek service.

What will he now give at annual Thanksgiving service. 😁😁

I wanted to tap this brother and tell him I could help him change the money into smaller denominations in case he was giving that amount because he lacked fifty and hundred naira notes, another voice told me to respect myself.
I had a slight idea of how much this brother earns monthly then, I began to pity him for being so prodigal.

Who doesn’t know that #50 is for midweek service and #100 is for Sundays.

You can drop #200 on some very special days when you are happy.

#500 was a lot of money to me then. I was always calculating what I can do with it. Five bottles of Pepsi, 10pieces of noodles, a big tuber of yam and so on.

I was always very calculative and  I always think I wasn’t rich enough to give such a huge amount as offering.

Overtime, I began to see things from another perspective, I found out that I had poverty mentality, I never saw myself as being rich, I always believed my wealth is in the future and until then, I should only give such ridiculous amounts as offering.

I was going to drop my offering in the basket one day and then I saw a two year old ran along to drop #100 while I was about dropping my #50 as usual.

I was ashamed of myself and right there that moment, I vowed never to give that amount again. I’ld rather not give at all than give my God #50.

It wasn’t easy, on some days, I’ll be tempted to give below my planned amount, the devil will begin to remind me of the bills I have to pay, how much needs #200 can meet and a whole lot of hghstgfdy, just to discourage me from giving generously.

That gave me a clue that there is a lot attached to my giving, if not, the devil won’t be out to discourage me.

So here is what I did to overcome the weird thoughts.

▪️ I evaluated my life, compared how I was 5,7,9 years ago to now and then I asked myself, If I gave #20  nine years ago and now I am giving #50, #100. Does that mean my life has only appreciated to the worth of #30 or #70. Apparently not, it has appreciated much more than that.

▪️ I deliberately take a stock of how much I spend for my personal needs monthly, recharge cards, soft drinks,food, provisions, cosmetics, miscellaneous spending and I compared it with the sum total of what I give God monthly. We all know what the result will be. The former is usually greater.

I decided I am going to change my mindset from that of a person with insufficient funds to one that has abundant funds.

I stopped complaining about lack all the time and did more of positive confessions.

I stopped calling some people ‘the rich’ and I began to put myself among.

I apologised to God and asked him for grace to be an unrepentant giver.

Few months after, I took a huge step of sowing my entire one month salary into a project.

I remember how my hands were shaking when I was about dropping the envelope. 😁😁

But that was a huge turning point in my life.

Let me also add that I was tested at some point, I would want to drop a particular amount and then I would hear him whisper ‘Modupe I want you to give me #x today’. It still happened last week. Initially I used to struggle and sometimes I disobey but overtime, I have learnt to trust him completely with everything I have.

I’ve received honorariums after ministrations and by divine instruction, had to sow everything back.

I stand to boldly testify to his faithfulness in blessing me ever since.
Before I ask now, provisions surface in abundance.
Glory to Jesus!

I’ve had to ask my closest pal if I look so wealthy outside and especially on Facebook because of the way people come to me when they are in need. Sometimes I would want to post it out there that I am not as rich as people think I am so the approach for financial help can stop.

But then I thought to myself, the more I give, the more blessed I become. They are probably seeing where God is taking me already, so I will live up to it.

I deliberately act, dress, talk and think like someone who is wealthy.

Sometimes, with just 5k left in my account, I would act and talk like one who has 500k there.

It isn’t pride neither is it fooling myself.

It is a simple application of Proverbs 23:7.”As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he”

Here are the principles I worked with that helped me break the relationship between poverty and I.

Stinginess is the greatest cause of poverty. A closed hand can never receive, learn to give generously.

Don’t forget to drop your comments,  subscribe and share with your friends.