Pastor Cheri Isioma Ajufo
The way of the world concerning your earnings is that they believe every money you get is for you to live on. So when they get their salary, they share it into portions, the way it would last till the next one comes. They say it's a reasonable way to plan for yourself and your family till the next salary comes.
It is good to plan and also to save. It shows discipline.
But by planning that way, you are telling God you may not have money some other way except this way and I wonder what would happen if it gets finished before the end of the time planned.
Some go ahead to heap up so much in their accounts. What they have is already more than enough for a life time and they are still heaping. It has become part of their attitude, to keep heaping.
When God is involved in your finances, He can bless you anyhow He chooses and at anytime.
Giving is God’s established medium to prosper and bless you financially.
Turn to Ephesians 4 verse 28
It says, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that He may have to give to him that needeth."
The underlined part shows us that, what you have as your income is for giving. The reason you should work is so that you would have to give. You don’t work and earn so you can build up a good life. Only God can build and give you a good life.
Yes you have bills to pay, school fees, rents and all.
God is your source. He is your source of income, look to him.
Through your job, you create a medium through which you bless others.
Sometimes, that salary may not be enough at the end to do all you want to do, how then do you go about it?
When you have recognized God as your source, you can trust Him with your needs.
Paul says, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4 verse 19
You come to a level where you live beyond your paycheck. God can make you so big that the money you get as your salary becomes too small for all you are doing, so sometimes you may not even take note of the salary when it is paid. Hallelujah!
God has made you bigger than your salary! You now always have more than enough!
This is what God can do for you when you recognize Him as your source. Learn to trust God and His Word, that way, you'll live above this plain of life.
When you receive your paycheck, you set your tithe aside, set a special seed aside, also your partnership and any other giving you may want to include, then give it in Church.
This way, God can prosper you. You have just told Him He is in control of your finances.
In Malachi 3 verses 10 to 12, the Bible shows us the blessing of tithing. It says,
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and He shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
When you paid your tithe, you provided meat for God’s house, how then will He not provide meat for your house?
Then He goes ahead to say "...and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it...."
This is called the "more than enough" blessing! Hallelujah! This is because, there will not be room enough to receive it. Praise God!
Verse 11 says, And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and He shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
Don't find yourself changing things. You things remain the same way all the time because you paid your tithe.
You buy a car, you only change it because you want another one and not because it's spoilt.
Your tithe preserved it. Hallelujah!
Your tithe is paid, not given because it belongs to God.
Verse 8 of that book says,
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
So don't rob God by not paying your tithes. If you are owing God, calculate the entire amount and pay it in Church. It doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to God.
When you don’t pay, He takes it somehow.
You are supposed to get a raise but you didn't get it.
You buy a new shoe and the next day you are trying to put it together so you can use it.
Hallelujah!
So it’s either you pay or He takes it by Himself.
Don't find yourself there. You love God, so you'll do it the right way.
It doesn't matter how much your salary is, give what you are supposed to give and watch God turn you a big shot. Hallelujah!
Create room for God’s blessings in your life. He doesn’t want you poor that is why He revealed it in the Scriptures.
The Bible says in Romans 15 verse 4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
He tells you something and teaches you how to go about it. So we are not short of knowledge, we know what to do at all times. Praise God.
You know how to become that big shot you've always wanted to be.
Let God’s Spirit lead you in that path of success by allowing your knowledge God’s Word control your actions, in this case, your financial actions. Hallelujah!
Lift up your hands and worship God!
