Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
I would like to focus on giving to God or in God's house. It also applies to people. It is a blessing to give to people. Kiity and I have been beneficiaries of being blessed and we have had the privilege to bless people.
God's house is a place where you are blessed, where you serve or where you worship. For me, I am connected to the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, the Living Faith Church International (Nigeria) and the Crossroads International Church (Netherlands).
My experience with giving in God's house spans many stories. Here, I do not talk about the regular Tithe and offerings we give when we go for a church service. I talk about giving outside this. Kiity and I both believe in tithing and giving our offerings.
I should add that we should not feel pressured to give in God's house no matter what anyone says. No one should pressure you. The simple idea for me in this context is - If you love, you give, just like a guy and a girl who love one another.
I would share five stories.
First Story
This was in 2003. This is not about giving money. My friend's roommate had Invited me to join the sanctuary keepers as a student at Covenant University. These are people that serve in the Chapel/Church, get the auditorium or place of worship ready for service. He mentioned I would get a scholarship by joining. I looked at him and was interested in the scholarship part but would not bother to join the group about it till about 3 weeks later, when I walked with him on returning from the college building - we used the current College of Human Development Building at this time in 2003.
I decided to join the sanctuary keepers not because of the scholarship but to be a part of a community. I knew he was joking. Not sure why he said the scholarship thing till now. It was fun to be part of the sanctuary keepers which I have continued till this day. it was interesting to see someone give me a scholarship application flyer at the beginning of my second year, to which I applied for, and was the only one considered for the National scholarship (Chevron-NNPC National Scholarship Award). The six (6) other people got State Scholarships. That was 75,000 Naira every year for 5 years (between 2004 and 2008) with the money for 2003 paid together with that of 2004.
Second Story
I recall a time the Pastor's wife (Mrs. Oshokoya) in the Foursquare Gospel church Igbosere, Lagos Island said we should give a seed. I think this was towards the women's event in 2010 or 2011. I remember it was around this year as I was about commencing the 2nd year of my Master's degree program at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. This part is key because my parents had given me 7,000 Naira for the bedspace/accommodation fees for the semester or session.
On the particular Sunday, I had come home for the weekend and attended church, then the Pastor's wife called for the seed and I thought of what I had.....11,000 Naira in the Bank out of which 7,000 was for the bedspace. I went to the closest ATM, withdrew the money and gave it. I later thought about how I was going to do the bedspace when I got back to school. To cut the long story, when it got to my turn for the allocation of the bedspaces, the man said I should go after the paperwork. And I went thinking he did not want me to bother and would reach out to me if he wanted me to, but he did not through the semester. I too did not return till the next allocation in a new session. The man remembered when he saw my name but said that is gone anyway. I did not need to pay anything.
Third story
We attended an event in 2015 at the House on the Rock Church Lekki, Nigeria with the Ufeoshis' (John & Ibukun). Mike Murdock was present and mentioned a 1,000 USD seed for people to be a part of. He also mentioned we could give it in the prevailing exchange rate. And Kiity and I agreed to be a part of it. We did. We had about 600,000 Naira jointly saved I think. and we did a conversion that day and gave it - it turned out to be about Three Hundred Thousand Naira Plus some amount above that (NGN 300,000+). We were not yet married at this point but had started to put money together.
As married people, we have been privileged to give seeds in the house of God. Kiity and I consider any money from either of us as OUR MONEY I should say. Not the typical standard people have but this works for us and our mentality towards money I have found out. Whether it comes form a job she does or a job I do, it is OUR MONEY and we both have a say when it comes to the spend.
Fourth story
This was in December 2023. I had decided to attend the shiloh 2023 event physically at Canaanland, Ota held by the Living Faith Church. I had my university education at Canaanland between October 2003 and June 2008, and not once did I attend the Shiloh event physically on ground where I had the opportunity. But I did not like how things were with me and decided to take a break from work. A seed was called for towards the build of the Ark (the new church auditorium set to be launched in Shiloh 2025).
I saw that as an opportunity and even though I had not decided what I was going to give as a sacrificial seed, I thought of the amount Kiity and I gave as a seed last in 2021 (NGN 1,000,000) and I felt we should double it (NGN 2,000,000). We had not done that before but I look back now and see that at that point really, God had really blessed us. There was a paper passed around to write the amount but I did not write. I knew we would do it.
How we would, I did not know. I sat and sent a chat to Kiity on it and was like maybe we do 500,000 Naira X 4 times. We eventually gave 1,000,000 Naira twice. I decided to sell the land at ODOPOS Akure and gave the first and from an amount meant for something else I think, we sent the second early February 2024.
I think back now as I write this in October 2024 and see that Kiity and I have had the privilege of giving out much more. God continues to bless us. We have flourished even where there has been hard times.
I recall we prayed to God to be vessels of blessing to people and we see it in ways beyond our imagination.
A fourth story
I would like to share a fifth story where I missed it and did not fulfil the vow. this was in December 2021. I was a postgraduate student at Obafemi Awolowo University and when it came to the time of the shiloh sacrifice, I wrote 100,000 Naira. But did not fulfil it.
Also, I did same at a time at Foursquare Gospel Church, Igbosere, Lagos Island. I am unable to recall the exact amount but did not fulfil it. One thing was significant though, there was a service where the Church Pastor, Reverend Joseph Lamidi made a call during a church service, for people that had made a vow and did not fulfil. I came out and he prayed for everyone and said we were released from such vows.
Am I a giver?
Despite these stories, I realise that it is by the grace of God that we are able to give, whether it is to a church for God's work or to an individual. I still consider myself as not a giver in the sense of it. I am able to give, don't get me wrong but it takes rising above myself.
One thing though, is that what you give, you rise above. When ministers preaching said this, I did not understand but having practiced it to an extent, I have seen it. The money or amount does not have you, You have it and can open your hands to let go where required.
I also think of Bishop Oyedepo when he thought me in Covenant University about money. Especially the part of God blessing you for his work. It did not make sense then. But it does now.
Giving wouldn't have been possible anyway without the right partner or the right spouse. With Kiity, we don't discuss it as a long topic. It is usually a short conversation.
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