A Life Worth Living Is Life Lived To Serve

The choir led us to sing the song during the Praise and Worship session. We sang with all our hearts. The song reverberated through the hall. The Pastor requested that we take the song again when he addressed the church. It was as we sang again that the last line of the chorus caught my attention. It caught fire in my spirit. The line wrapped itself tightly around my heart. It re-echoed in my mind for days afterwards.

“I live to serve Your majesty.”

The lyrics called out to me, urging an account of my life;

“Am I living my life to serve my King?”

“Am I living a life of service to His Majesty, the Most High God, the King of all Kings?”

I pondered on these questions for many days. It is amazing how just one line of a song can weave itself into our subconscious, becoming a part of our thoughts as we wake up in the morning, as we doze off to sleep at night and several times in between. That has been the case with me with this one line in the chorus of the song; “King of Kings, Majesty” written by Jarrod Cooper.

What Kind of Life Are We Living:

Self-focussed?

Philippians 2: 3-4 says “Do not be selfish;” Admonishing us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. It also admonishes us not to be concerned only for or look only to our own interest but to be concerned for the interest of others. The worst thing we can do with our lives is to live only for ourselves—focussing only on our needs, wants and gains.

The litmus test of living a selfish life as a Christian is the content of our prayers. Is your prayer more about you, yourself and everything you want God to do for you? God did not put us on earth to live for ourselves.

The next pertinent question we need to ask ourselves is about the motive for what we are doing under the canopy of service to God. Is it to call attention or bring glory to us? Whose interest is being served by our service?

When we do not with humility consider others, we are exhibiting pride and a preoccupation with self. Humility before God and man is a virtue every child of God need to strive constantly for. Our humility in service to God is demonstrated when we are concerned about the interest of others especially those in the household of faith.

Jesus demonstrated humility and selfless concern for others. We are called as believers to have the same mind as is Christ. To have the same mindset as Jesus Christ is to be others focussed.

We also need to note that Jesus did not serve others out of convenience. It cost Him something—it cost Him His life. We are self-oriented if we are serving out of convenience.

Others-focussed?

The bottom-line here is that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. We have been called to be like Jesus in every way—to selflessly serve others. We become more like Jesus as we live a life of service. A life well lived is a life lived in service of God through service to humanity.

God has given each of us gifts, talents and abilities. We are to be generous with these different gifts God gave us—using them to serve and bless others—as faithful stewards of God’s manifold grace (1Peter 4:10). So that at the end of it all, God gets all the glory, praise and adoration. The service that you perform does not only supply the needs of the Lord's people, but it is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

I attended the oldest girls’ school in Lagos, Nigeria—Methodist Girls High School, Yaba, Lagos. The Motto of my Alma mater is In Love Serve One Another. I learnt about serving others in love from this school.

“The best use of your life is to invest your life in something that will outlast it” – Rick Warren

I truly concur with Rick Warren. The best way to live life is to live such that the echo of the impact of the life lived will continue to resonate long after that life is over. That is the way I want to live my life, in such a way that I will leave a lasting legacy that will continue cause an overflow of praise to God.

Serving The King:

I am serving my King when the things that I do, the services I render, brings glory and honour to Majestic King of Kings. I am serving my King when it is all about Him, about pleasing Him and doing His will. I am indeed serving my King when my act of service is out of submission and obedience to God and not out of convenience.

In everything Jesus did and said, He perfectly reflected the heart of the God. We are chosen by God as His instruments to do His work, to speak out for Him and to show others the goodness of God, that is, serving at the pleasure of our King.

We are serving the King when our act of service reveals God’s attribute of goodness, kindness and generosity to others.

How can we serve our King?

I found a motion song and study for God’s little ones at the hymnary.org titled “Serving The King” written in 1887 by John Hood, which detailed just how every part of our bodies can be used to serve the King of Kings irrespective of how little or insignificant we may think ourselves to be.

“Only a pair of dimpled hands

How can they serve our King?

Some ways of helping others find,

And little love-gifts bring.”

When I live to serve His Majesty, I don’t need self-efforts. I don’t need strive on my own. I only need to surrender every part of my being to the work of the Holy Spirit in me. For it is the Holy Spirit at work in us who points us in the direction of where the needs we can best serve are.

Here and now, I recommit myself to serve at the pleasure of my King. I must live each day of my life to serve His Majesty, the King of Glory, who loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son for me and kept me by His might hands.

Dear Friends, what about you? What does it mean to you to live to serve His Majesty? How would you commit yourself to live a life worth living, a life that lives behind a lasting legacy?

Honestly, a life worth living is life lived to serve. A life lived just for self or for this moment alone is a wasted life.

Join me to raise 360 gifts items to bring about a 360-degree turnaround for good in the lives of two women. One is an amputee. The other is a wheelchair-bound widow. These gift items will be sold at a Christmas Charity Bazaar in Geneva. Proceeds from the sales of donated gift items will be used to support these two women through the provision of prosthesis, wheelchair and income generating activities.

Show Your Gratitude Through Your Generosity

God has been extravagantly generous to us, lavishing His goodness and unfailing love on us. The good things God has stored up for us who fear Him are immensely abundant and He bestows His goodness on us in the sight of all who have eyes to see.

How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world. (Psalm 31:19 NLT).

I am a recipient of God’s overflowing goodness and immeasurable blessings. My expectations at the beginning of 2014 were mind-boggling. It was humanly impossible to see how the things that I was looking up to God for could come to pass. “How shall these things be?” I pondered so many times. Today, I can look back and declare like David in Psalm 145:

I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendour and Your wonderful miracles.

Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness.

Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness;

They will sing with joy about Your righteousness

Surely, you too can recall and recount the goodness of God in your life in 2014. There is no one who has nothing to be grateful for, because God is good to everyone. He showers His love and compassion on all His creation. Everything God does is suffused with grace. This passage calls all of us to share the story of God’s wonderful goodness in our lives.

How then can we show our gratitude for God’s awesome goodness to us?

Paraphrasing The Message translation of Psalm 145: 5-7, we can demonstrate our gratitude by making His marvelous deeds to us headline news, writing a book full of the details of His greatness and spreading the fame of His goodness across the world. Simply put, David encourages us to make our gratitude to God fluent and evident.

Gratitude is more than a feeling, it has to be demonstrated by what we do. Our gratitude to God must be Told and Shown. Our thankfulness and appreciation of God should be expressed not only by our words but also by our deeds.

Gratitude is not just an occasional expression of thanks, but a continual lifestyle of thanksgiving. It is being thankful and grateful for every single thing that God is doing in our lives day by day.

Fluent and abundantly uttered:

David was very generous in uttering his praise to God for His goodness towards him. He declared God’s greatness with fervency and fluency. We are to tell of what God has done in our lives with zeal, glowing in the warmth of His love. We can never exceed the truth when we speak of God’s extravagant goodness with fervency. We are not to be silent witnesses but fluent in our testimony.

We ought to feel His praise deeply in our hearts and openly declare it. We should publicly speak of His goodness and joyfully proclaim it in songs. This is a good point to pause and let your mouth speak generously of the praise of God.

I will praise You.

              I will extol You.

                             I will bless Your Name.

                                           Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.

Evident and passionately demonstrated:

Just as we have been admonished to generously utter the praises of God, our lives should also speak out loudly of the goodness which we have experienced in God. We cannot overdo it when we passionately demonstrate by our actions and with zeal our gratitude to God, especially through our acts of generosity. We only exhibit the nature of God in us and reflect His divine attribute to the world around us.

Gratitude is shown in acts – Henri Frederic Amiel

We are called to show our gratitude to God by being generous to our needy brothers and sisters. Paul was very explicit that reaching out to the needy in our midst is an evidence of our obedience to God.

Generosity puts our obedience to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ on display.

"Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they’ll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!" 

(2 Corinthians 9:12-15 MSG).

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (Hebrews 13:16 MSG)

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (1 John 3:17-18 NLT)

Generosity, a multiplying factor:

Generosity demonstrates our gratitude to God and impacts the lives of the people it touches. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgiving to God. In addition to these, there is a promise of a reward attached to it. Generosity reaches out to others as an overflow of our gratitude to God and it brings back more blessings to us.

"I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:17-19 NLT)

Those of us who have experienced God’s extravagant goodness in our lives are called to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. By so doing, we will build a treasury that will last and we gain life that is truly life.

Dear Friends, I desire that you to experience the blessings that issues from generosity. Let someone around you be impacted with your expression of gratitude. As our friends in US celebrate Thanksgiving today and we enter the Christmas season, we are provided with an ample opportunity to demonstrate our gratitude through our generosity.

What can you do?

1.       Be generous in showing mercy and offering forgiveness.

2.       Offer hospitality. Open your homes to the brethren graciously without complaining.

3.       Be open to needs in your family, church and community and reach out to meet those needs.

The simplest and most powerful way to show gratitude is to be truly present, being generous with your time and attention. Your family will be glad for this.

In what ways can you make a unique dent in the world around you as an act of your gratitude to God?

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the way You provide for every area of my life. I am grateful for everything I have. I am grateful that You are always doing special things in my life, Lord. I choose to be generous in my praise and gratitude to You. I ask for the grace to demonstrate my gratitude by allowing You to use my life to touch lives. Help me to recognize needs around me and be generous in meeting them. In Jesus name I pray. 

Lessons They Taught Me On Generous Liberal Giving_Part 3

It was the second day of shopping. My first son was driving. The previous day, we did two shops in a record time. My son is a shoot the bull’s eye shopper—go in, pick the stuff on your list and head to the cashier. Typical shopping tactics of most men. It was the same on this day. It took the joy out of shopping for me but I dared not complain, my son was becoming support-fatigued.

The last one month had been packed with several back-to-back events, and I was directly involved in organizing them. The next one was in two days. I depend heavily on my family to support me in executing every activity I commit myself to and they know I don’t do half-measures.

We picked up my second son from school on the way home. And that began a discussion between the boys on how much Mum takes on. At the end of the last event I organised, they had asked me why I had to take the lead in every event that needs to be organized. My mother responded while I was still thinking of an appropriate answer, “When God gives you a gift, you have to use it to bless others.”

“Hmm! But why does it have to be Mum all the time?” he asked his grandma.

I responded this time, emphasising that we are expected to use the gifts, skills and talents God gave us to serve others (1Peter 4:10). But I heard him loud and clear. Each time I commit myself to something, I commit my entire family, sometimes over-committing them and requiring some sacrifice on their part. So on this occasion I knew where the discussion was going, or so I thought.

As we discussed the plans for the coming days and what I would require of them, they did not ask the same question again, they simply stated, “Mum is involved in so many things.”

“I am a Proverbs 31 woman,” I chipped in. That’s who I aspire to be.

“And we are compelled to be Proverbs 31 children without a choice.”

Whoops! I caught my breath. I thought carefully before going further. “Well, whatever we do, we must do as unto God. God loves a cheerful giver, so I really pray that you will also be cheerful Proverbs 31 children. God doesn't owe any man, He will surely reward your labour of love.”

My children were learning another hard lesson on sacrificial giving of self in the service of others, this time not of their own volition, but imposed on them by their mother’s passion to go the extra mile to be a blessing to others.

As I write the concluding part of Lessons They Taught me on Liberal Generous Giving today, my sons are uppermost on my mind. Noting that as we relentlessly pursue the goal of liberal generous giving, it will come at a cost. Not only for us but also for the significant people in our lives. Therefore, they need to be on board with us so that it does not become a drudgery for them. They also need to know that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed.

Giving, cheerfully and generously with a willing heart, has to be a way of life for the Christian who understands the grace of God. The person, who understands like David, that everything we have comes from God and that his life does not consist of what he has, will be a liberal giver. We are merely giving back what He first gave us. We know that for us to dwell in the full dimension of grace, where God causes all grace to abound to us, we must be willing to abound in good works as well, which requires generous, liberal, and often sacrificial giving.

David:

Before became King over Israel and while he was still running from Saul, David exhibited the ability to be a generous and considerate giver. In 1Sam 30, we observe that David recognized that it was God, Who gave him victory and the ability to recover all he lost without fail and with interest, he was therefore willingly to graciously share of the plunder (vs. 25). He also remembered those who ministered to his needs during his season of wandering. This is the dictate of a grateful heart—to remember your helpers.

David affirmed in 1Chronicles 29:14, that all things come from God. He and his people considered that they, who were once slaves in Egypt and in poverty, had attained such affluence that they had liberal hearts and willing spirits to give in such a noteworthy manner, because all they have was given to them by God. They acknowledged God as the Fountain of goodness. David then prayed that God will keep this generous spirit alive forever in his people with their hearts firmly set on God (vs19).

It is my earnest prayer that God will keep alive a generous, liberal and willing spirit in us and our children always.

Barzillai:

When David, in his bid to escape from Absalom, came to Manahaim. Three chieftains took care of him and his men. Barzallai was one of them. They said, “The people have become hungry and tired and thirsty in the desert… (2Sam 17:27-29). And they provided them with beddings, pottery and diverse kinds of food. They recognised a need and responded to it.

Another point to note is that Barzallai was an infirmed and very old man with great wealth. He considered it an honour to be of service to the King at his time of need. I learnt from him that old age or infirmities are no barriers to generous and liberal giving.

He proved that no one is too old to give, just as the young boy who willing gave his lunch of five loaves of bread and two fishes in John 6:9, proved that no one is too young to give sacrificially. This young boy gave his lunch for five thousand men to be fed with left over. I imagine that he must be one of those who went home with one of the twelve baskets left over.

The Wealthy Shunamite Woman:

She had a lifestyle of giving and hospitality. She willingly opened her door to the Prophet of God and displayed sensitivity to his needs. She went the extra mile to provide for his comfort.

She taught me to be on the lookout for those who might be in need of my support.

The Queen of Sheba:

Another wealthy woman. She blessed Solomon in his abundance. She sowed liberally the seeds of abundance into his life. And she did not return home empty-handed.

She taught me that I can be a blessing, not only to those in need but also to those who have abundance, in a way that will impact their lives.

“Those who consider God as the Giver of their abundance will dispose of it with fairness and liberality.”

The Proverbs 31 Woman:

She is very generous. She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her filled hands to the needy. She works very hard to have enough to give to others.

This is the woman I want to be. She is a woman after my heart.

Hallelujah! How blessed is the man, how blessed is the woman, who fear God, who cherish and relish His commandments. Their children shall be robust (successful) on earth. And the homes of the upright shall be blessed. Their houses brim with wealth. And a generosity that never runs dry (Ps 112. The Message paraphrased). There is a blessing and reward awaiting liberal generous givers and their children after them.

All for God’s glory:

God must receive the all the glory for all the gifts He blessed us with, including the ability to be liberal and generous, the grace to be a giver. Everything we have and everything we give, we have received from God’s generous hands, these we must give back cheerfully and with a willing heart

Dear Friends, it has been illuminating for me to share with you these lessons I am learning on generous and liberal giving. I have been given a second chance at life. By the grace of God, I want this precious gift of life to make a resounding impact on lives to the glory of God.

My charge to you:

“Make your gift of a life count by deliberately choosing to live an extraordinary life, such that the world resonates with the echo of your impact.”

(From 2014 Return of the Helper’s Conference Facebook page)

I encourage you to live an extraordinary life of generous and liberal giving that never runs dry but keeps going on and on. It is a lasting legacy that will last forever, setting up your children for God's blessings.

This piece is dedicated to my two sons who selflessly and sacrificially give their energy and time to support me to fulfil my calling and live my dreams.

Ose and Ehi, your sterling and solid qualities shall impact lives for good always, in Jesus name.

Lessons They Taught Me On Generous Liberal Giving_Part 2

In my last blog post, I shared the first part of the Lessons I learnt from generous liberal givers in the Bible. The comments and feedback I got from families and friends were overwhelming. In today’s post, I will start with the lessons I learnt from the Ultimate generous and liberal Giver—the Lord God Almighty, the Giver of life, hope and all good things.

There are many reasons for doing so. Let me share two here:

-          On Monday, June 2, I celebrated one year of my brand new life. Life without external support for breathing, life without compressed oxygen blasting into my nostrils and its hissing sound in my ears, and life without the encumbrances of oxygen bottles, concentrators and reservoirs. This is because God gave me a second chance at living life to the full and to the overflowing. I simply can never thank God enough for this, even if I spend every breath I breathe praising God.

-          For seven years, my siblings and I, and our spouses prayed and interceded over an intractable family issue. At some stage, things went from bad to worse and we could not see light at the end of tunnel, save with the eyes of faith. We knew without a doubt that it would take God’s direct intervention to turn the situation around. The answer to our prayers began to unfold in March. To the glory of God, we saw the full manifestation of the answered prayers last night. It is a dream come true and far beyond our wildest imagination.

God, the Ultimate Generous Giver:

God delights in blessing His children. He does it with unmatched excellence. He is the Giver of good gifts. Every good and perfect gift, and all generous acts come from God, the Father of heavenly lights, in whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. He is unchanging and there are no alterations in Him or His ways of doing things.

He gives us all good things to enjoy. There is nothing too small or too big to ask of God. My mother read Bedtime Stories to us when I was a little child. I learnt from these stories how to pray about everything and to ask God for whatever my heart desires. The story of a little girl who lost her penny and prayed to God until she found it left an indelible mark in my memory. It taught me that God cares so much about everything that concerns us and there is no minute detail of our lives that does not concern Him or any sphere of our lives where we cannot experience His liberal generosity.

Having such a generous liberal God as my Father, tells me that I also have generosity and liberal giving as components of my DNA. I cannot but be a generous liberal in the image of my Father. We derive the grace and ability to give from the Ultimate Giver. His giving are as diverse as the expanse of His creation. He gives without holding back (see Give Without Holding Back). He is the epitome of giving. It behoves me, who has been given so much, to give back as generously as He gives me the grace.

I learnt from my Father that giving must be with delight and joy. It must be done with a high standard of excellence. I learnt that there is no need too small or insignificant, or too big for us to respond to. God responds with delight to all our needs.

The Women Who Supported Jesus Ministry:

Jesus went from town to town, from village to village, preaching God’s Kingdom and spreading the Message. The twelve disciples were with Him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various afflictions and illnesses. Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons were casted out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna—along with many others (Luke 8:1-3).

These women used their personal resources to minister Jesus and His disciples, and to provide for their needs. They helped to support the ministry with their personal belongings and out of their own means. These women had been forgiven much, they have been delivered from much and they have received much blessing from Jesus. Their response was positive. They were eager to be of service for the Kingdom and to use their resources for the glory of God.

They showed their gratitude to God for what has been done for them by giving generously. Two things struck me about these women:

-         Though we know that Joanna is likely to be a woman of means, her husband being the manager of Herod’s household, but we don’t know anything about Susanna nor the financial means of Mary. I want to believe that these women worked hard to ensure that they have the means to support the ministry.

-          Whatever the source and magnitude of their resources, they did not hold back. They gave out of a grateful heart. And their names were immortalized for their generous giving.

The Bible says that God will generously provide all we need. So that we will always have everything we need and have plenty left over to share with others (2Corinthians 9:8). I have a sure promise that I will be enriched in every way so that I can always be generous. And when my gifts get to those who need them, it will result in praise and thanks being given to God.

The righteous gives without sparing or holding back (Proverbs 21:26). I know from the word of God that anyone who is stingy when it comes to the agenda of the Kingdom of God, cannot operate in the fullness of God’s grace. I also know that God loves it when the giver delights in the giving just as God delights in giving to us.

Here’s my declaration:

“I am a giver. I have the DNA of generosity and liberal giving. I am endued with grace to be a giver and a dispenser of good. I am a giver because I carry the blessings of God in my life.”

Here’s my prayer:

Thank You so much, dear God, for all You have done for me. I ask You to open my eyes to see the best ways I can be of service to You and to the body of Christ. Grant me the grace to use every gift, skills and talent You blessed me with to touch lives for good and for Your glory.

Dear Friends, are you a recipient of God’s rich blessing? Is your giving with delightful joy? What is your declaration? Share with us and let us encourage one another.

In the concluding part coming next blog post, I will share lessons I learnt from David, Queen of Sheba, Barzallai and the little boy who gave his lunch.

Lessons They Taught Me On Generous Liberal Giving

This blog post was conceived a few months ago after studying 1Sam 30. Three groups of persons emerged in the chapter based on the way they managed abundance and wealth:

-          The squanderer

-          The hoarder

-          The liberal giver

I was so intrigued with the liberal giver that I searched for as many of them as I could find in the Bible, to see what I could learn from them. I knew a number of them before; it was inspiring to reflect on the lessons I learnt from them in the past. They have fired me up again. I will share with you in this post and the next, the lessons I learnt from these liberal givers.  I will reserve the squanderers and hoarders for another day.

To set the stage, let me share some thoughts on liberal giving.

A liberal giver is like a farmer who sows abundant seeds on a good field. Liberal givers sow seeds of goodness into the lives of people connected with them.

Seeds have great potentials, and when nurtured, they produce an abundance, greatness and significance. Within the seed is the potential for multiplication, so seeds multiply. No seed is ordinary, no matter how tiny or invisible to human eyes as it may be. Every seed is a seed of destiny because it can influence destiny. Every seed is a seed of significance because it has the potential to make a difference. Every seed is a seed of promise, because it carries a promise to bring about a bountiful harvest.

Except a seed falls down and dies it cannot live and bring forth fruit. A seed must fall into the ground and die to bring forth fruit. Unless the seed is sown, it cannot bring forth harvest, it remains alone (John 12: 23-25).

As a seed must fall away from the hands of the farmer into a fertile soil to bring forth a good harvest, the gift also has to be separated from the hands of the giver. There must be a letting-go for the giving to be a blessing.

A liberal generous giver is a person who recognizes God as the Giver of everything he has. He knows God as the Source of the favour and blessings he is enjoying.

There are many examples of liberal givers in the Bible. As believers are God’s children by covenant, we are called by God to be a blessing. God in His covenant with Abraham declared; “…I will bless you; I will make your name great, AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING (Gen 12:2), that is, a dispenser of good—one who dispenses good to others. Liberal generous givers are a blessing to others.

Abraham:

There are many lessons to learn from Abraham as a dispenser of good. His life was a blessing to others. The way he allowed Lot, his nephew, to make the first choice of land. Then he went the extra mile to rescue Lot in Genesis 14, and he interceded on behalf of Lot when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. These are classic examples of the generosity extended to someone who does not appear to deserve it.

In Genesis 18, Abraham offered hospitality to three strangers. An added dimension was the fact that he hastened (he ran) to ensure the food was prepared with speed. His giving was with great enthusiasm, cheerfulness and without holding back. He went over and beyond the bread and water that was necessary, he provided meat, curds and milk to the strangers.

He taught me to be magnanimous by giving consideration to others first. He taught me that generosity can be extended to those who don’t deserve it—since I am also a recipient of God’s unmerited favour—grace. I learnt from him that I should go the extra mile in my giving, not just the minimum required because there is a blessing in going over and above the minimum. I learnt also to give with enthusiasm and with great attention to details.

Ruth:

Her generosity to Naomi is an example of sacrificial giving. She sacrificed the security of marriage among her people and sacrificially committed to living her life with Naomi to take care of her (Ruth 1:16-18).

Sometimes those in need are resistance to our help and may want to be left alone in their misery and loneliness. But our sensitivity to their needs and concerns driven by our passion for God will lead us to let love and faithfulness override their resistance. Ruth refused to give up on Naomi despite the insistent persuasion to be left alone. When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

She taught me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me and never to give up on them even when my efforts are resisted or even rejected. She also taught me long before I got married; never to go to my mother-in-law empty-handed. When she was given food to eat, she reserved some for Naomi after she was satisfied (Ruth 2:18). I am glad today that I learnt this lesson early enough. I cannot begin to recount the blessing it brought me.

Ruth’s sacrificial and generous giving went before her. Boaz heard of it before he met her and pronounced a blessing on her: “May the Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord…” (Ruth 2:12).

Joseph:

After his brothers had thrown him into the well-like pit, they sat down and ate the lunch Joseph brought for them (Gen 37:24). I can imagine that he must have been very frightened down in that pit. I can imagine him hearing his brothers’ voices as they ate. And I can imagine how he must have pleaded with them to show mercy. But they hardened their heart to their brother’s plea.

When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, there was no trace of bitterness rather he wept and so loudly that the entire household of Pharaoh heard him. He forgave completely without holding back; “Come near to me, I pray you…” (Gen 45:4).

He sowed the seed of forgiveness and showed mercy to the same people who withheld mercy from him. He willingly shared his largess with his brothers and gave them a possession in the best portion of the land.

Jacob at his death pronounced an astounding blessing on Joseph. He declared that he is a fruitful bough (denoting extra-ordinary increase) by a well, spring or fountain. He is well-watered like the trees by the rivers of living waters. He brings forth bountiful harvest of fruits, and his branches run over the wall (Gen 49:22).

Joseph was an inexhaustible dispenser of good, and the giving of his fruitfulness transcends beyond the usual boundaries of an enclosed garden. He spreads his largess abroad. The blessing of God on him was great. I learnt from Joseph that there is no limit to the blessings we can dispense to others irrespective of how we have been treated. He gave liberally and generously the gift of mercy and forgiveness.

Dear Friends, do you know more of such liberal givers? We all have been blessed with seeds we can sow into lives, what are you doing with your seed?

Liberal givers dispense goodness, they sow seeds of goodness into the lives of others.

May God’s grace richly abound to you that you may abound in every good works. 

To be continued.

The Night A Dream Came True

For many years, my sons and I wanted to do something that would cause his face to light up in amazement, and bring out a wide and bright smile. It was difficult to find any gift that could have this effect, he is not easily dazzled by things. At Christmas, his birthday and at our wedding anniversary, it’s always a headache trying to phantom what gift to give him.

It was about eight years ago that I started thinking about how to celebrate him on his 50^th Birthday. I was reflecting on what we had been through over the past years and I wanted an opportunity to appreciate him in a meaningful way. I believed that one must not wait until death before we start eulogizing our loved ones. We need to let them know how much they mean to us and how much we are grateful to God for blessing our lives with them, while they are still able to hear our voices.

At that time, I did not know what the next eight years was going to be like for us. It got to a point that it seemed that I might not be around to see the day come to pass. When I came “back to life” in May, 2013, my dream was rekindled. I wanted to do something to show and tell my husband how much I appreciate him. I wanted to celebrate his steadfastness when the storm was most torrential, his commitment, his dedication, and his selfless love and care for me and for our children.

I stopped working and earning an income since 2007. The burden of my medical expenses had put a huge strain on our finances. Yet my heart longed to see my dream come true: to have a musical night, a night of praise, to celebrate God’s goodness in my husband’s life. By November, I simply could not imagine how it could happen. My beading business was just taking off and that was a lot of investment plus all the medical bills coming in. I was ready to give up on my dream.

That was when my big Sista and dear friend called to ask me what my plans were to celebrate this fine man, God blessed my life with. I shared my dream with her and also told her just how impossible it was looking. She encouraged me to go ahead, start planning, and find out what it was going to cost, while we pray about it. I did.

I wrote to some members of the musical group he led when he was in medical school in Nigeria and continued to be a part off afterwards. I shared my dream with them that I wanted to enact a kind of homecoming and for them to have the opportunity to minister together again in music. They loved the idea and promised to make effort to come. I wrote to his siblings in Nigeria and US, and asked them to be a part of it. They were pleased with the idea.

When I drew up the budget in January 2014, I was crestfallen. It would require nothing short of a miracle to make this come to pass. I had less than 5% of the budget. I knew I could not touch our family account without my husband finding out about the surprise. And honestly, there was no way we could accommodate such an expense at that point of our lives. This was a classic case of “how can this be?”

I was greatly encouraged by my big Sista. She told me to focus on the dream and not give up on it but to trust God to bring it to pass. I remembered the word God gave us at the beginning of the year, “Prepare the ditches, for you shall neither see the rain nor hear the wind, yet the valley shall the filled with water” (2Kings 3:16-17). Also, I knew from experience, that God is God of exponential increase. I had studied much about Him as a God of multiplication. He was able to multiply the oil in a small jar to fill many vessels until there was sufficient to pay off the widow’s debt and there was enough left over for them to feed on. He multiplied 20 loaves of bread to feed 100 sons of prophets and there were some left over. Jesus, also gave thanks to God for 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, and 5000 men ate without counting the women and children, and there were 12 baskets left over.

The same God is more than able to multiply the little we have to meet our huge vat of needs to the extent that there will be enough left over to live on and bless others with. I committed my dreams and heart desire into God’s hands. I laid all my plans before Him. I knew I have to trust Him every step of the way to make provision not only for the event but for all our needs.

I wrote to some of our close friends and told them what I was planning. The response was overwhelming. Many of them acknowledged that my husband is a selfless giver and it was their pleasure to be a part of appreciating him and appreciating God Who made him such a blessing to many. What God provided through our family and friends was exceedingly more abundant than I could ever dreamt, imagine and ask for. God also raised up a friend who helped me with all the planning and organization. Given my circumstances, I simply could not leave home without giving my husband details about my movement. He usually takes me to wherever I needed to be.

I wanted that night not only to be a night of praise, but to be used by God to bring refreshing, revival and renewal to every relationship that would be represented there. I wanted God’s glory to be on display and for Him to the center of all we would do. I wanted lives to be touched for good. So I went before God with this request.

On Saturday, March 29th, two days after his 50^th birthday, my husband and I arrived at the venue and he saw his name on the event board in the hotel reception, he exclaimed; “my name is all over the place.” When we entered the hall and he saw the number of guests there, he was truly amazed but that was not all.

We began to reveal the surprise guests: four old members of the Calvary Love Singers from his days in UCH, Ibadan, came from UK. He was expecting to see two of them but the remaining two were a pleasant surprise. Then we revealed our very dear friend from Ibadan, Nigeria and her sister from US, and that threw him. Lastly, we brought out his junior brother, also from Ibadan. That was the “crème de la crème.” He was astonished. His smile was broad. He was truly wowed. After a long time of waiting and dreaming, we finally dazzled him.

The theme for the Night of Praise was Musical and Blue.

Why Musical?

My husband’s passion for gospel music pales only compared with his passion for God, and perhaps for me J. He loved to minister in music and his commitment to this ministry has not waned since the day I first met him at a Gospel Musical Concert organized by the Calvary Love Singers in Paul Hendricks Hall, UCH, Ibadan in December 1984.

Why Blue?

Blue seemed to describe my husband best.

When hell unfurled its fury

And the stormy blast blew

He was as calm as the blue summer sea

He is solid like the snow-capped mountain

 piercing the clear blue sky

He is deep like the deep blue ocean

When the shutter closes, and the blues creeps in

He is indigo as a moonless night.

I gave him his bass guitar and the night of praise began in earnest with the choir from our church, Tower of Refuge Church International, leading the guests in songs of thanks and praise. Then the old members of C.L.S. did a number of old songs with him. The Itinerant Gospel Ministries choir ministered in songs with one especially composed for us. It shared our testimony and was heart-touching. I was awed.

Our sons, my brother-in-law and I sang together. I read a poem I wrote for my husband; “On My Knees” that will be posted another day. The boys also shared what they learnt from their father, and friends spoke glowingly about him.

All in all, he was very happy and full of smiles. He enjoyed the evening. He felt truly loved and appreciated. He was humbled by the generosity and by the length families and friends went to give him a beautiful celebration.

Needless to say, I was of all women, most grateful to God. Against all the odds, God granted me the desire of my heart and made my dream come true. The dazzling smile on my husband’s face made it all worth the effort. Above all, God was glorified through it.

Another mind-burgling expectation fulfilled just as I wrote in my blog post in February. All praise and thanks be to God.

Be Thou A Blessing

I was researching for an article last Monday when I stumbled a message I wrote and shared with friends on my mailing list in December 2011 - Be Thou A Blessing.

I read it over again and noted how appropriate it was for this season. While still pondering whether to share it again or not, my 15-year-old son came to me with a surprise request. He was trying to make a decision about which child to sponsor through Compassion International.

"How are you going to support this?" I asked him.

"From my pocket money"

Since I know how much his pocket money is and how much is required for the monthly contribution to support a child, I knew it would to be a sacrifice. But I was touched that he realized that he is blessed and he can be a blessing to another child.

That was what confirmed to me that it is appropriate to share this message again.

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing” – Gen 12:2

What does it mean to be a blessing?

Be a blessing is an imperative and a demand God made of Abram. God promised to make him a great nation, to bless him and to make his name great so that he can in turn be a blessing—dispensing good to others. His obedience would bring great blessings.

Be thou a blessing—not just a subject or recipient of blessings but a medium, a channel or a conduit of blessings to others. It means our lives should be a blessing in every place we sojourn. It should make a difference and add value to the lives of others.

A dispenser of good gives out goodness to all. The life of God in us flowing out into the lives of other people.

To be a blessing means to be the one doing an act that blesses—promoting or contributing to the joy, happiness, well being and prosperity of others.

It is to act in a way that will cause others to benefit, to gain and to profit, and to bring improvement to the status of another.

It is to be a channel of joy to those who are around you.

Blessed to Bless

Personally, I have been a subject of God’s untold blessings just as Abraham. God promised him that He would bless him and He did. See Ex. 1:7 and Ps 107:38 – which are examples of God fulfilling His promise to bless Abraham.

The obligation of being a subject of the awesome blessings of God is to be a blessing.

But we must first recognize that in whatever estate in life we may be, we are blessed. Gratitude for the many blessings that we have received should naturally inspire us to be a blessing to others. We who have been given so much can do no less than our best to be a blessing to everyone we see and everyone we know.

The calling of God and His blessings upon our lives have a definite purpose, that is, for us to be used of God to be a blessing to others. Blessings always include the power to be a blessing.

Be a blessing is a command. It must be our overriding desire and motivation everyday of our lives. We ought to be a blessing to all the different people we are in relationship with – close or distant—indeed to everyone within our sphere of influence. We need to let them know we appreciate them and care about them not just by our words but also by our actions. Not just at Christmas time but at all times.

We have the Holy Spirit to guide us at each instance so that we know what to do to touch the lives of each person God brings into our lives for good. We can draw on His help through prayer and staying in His presence. The more of God I have in me, the more I am able to be a blessing to others.

Jesus Christ became the means of blessing to the world. He is the greatest blessing of the world. The greatest blessing anyone could ever hope to possess. We are blessed to have Jesus in our lives as Lord and Savior; He is the greatest blessing we can share with the world around us this season and through all seasons.

Here are some of the essential elements of being a blessing shared by Gray Smalley and John Trent in their book - The Blessing:

-          Providing meaningful touch: Jesus puts his arms around the children, he touched the people that came to him, and he touched the sick when he laid hands on them to heal them. People feel loved when we touch and embrace them. A hug, a handshake, or a touch can make a difference to someone.

-          Communicating warmth and offering words of encouragement: our words have an incredible power to build up and yet it can hurt and destroy relationships. When we speak words of kindness, words that uplift, words that praise and encourage others and words that show others we appreciate, love and care about them, we bless them with our words.

-          To be a blessing often requires commitment, a willingness to commit our time and invest our energy to see the blessing become a reality in the people’s lives. To be a blessing may call for personal sacrifice.

Just as Abraham stepped out by faith to embark on a journey without knowing where the Lord was leading him but he obeyed and trusted God, we can also step out by faith to be a blessing to others.

I wish you a Joyous Christmas celebrating Jesus and dispensing good to all.

Profuse in Praise

Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me, when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me, it's amazing. - Israel Houghton

How many times in 2012 did I cry to the Lord? How many times did call upon His name this year?

Countless.

When the nights were long and dark. When buffeted, distressed and unable to rest. When I needed help, counsel and guidance. When I needed His touch. When I needed His presence.

He harkened to my cry. He heard me when I called and He answered me. He turned towards me and paid attention to me. He held me in the center of His watchful care.

I am so overwhelmed that the King of kings, the Lord of lords and the Creator of the Heavens and the earth is mindful of me. Who am I that He should be this mindful of me, that He knows my name, my every thought and hears me when I call upon Him.

I am captivated by the immensity of God's love for me.

My Response:

Praise, Praise and more Praise. Profuse praise. Overflowing, copious and superabundant praise. My praise shall ascend to the heavens like a sweet smelling perfume.

Praise the Lord O my soul and let all that is within me praise His holy name. Praise the King of Heavens, to His feet I bring my tributes. I who was ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven.

I command my soul to praise the Lord. I command my feet, my hands and my lips to praise the Lord. Let everything that has life and breath praise the Lord. I have life and I have breath, and I give praise to You, O God.

I will praise You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name - Ps 63:4

My mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. My mouth shall be filled with His praise and I will declare His splendor all day long. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Him (Ps 71: 8, 23). I will remember Him upon my bed when I rouse out of sleep at the crack of dawn, and I will meditate on His loving-kindness. For He has been my help.

Praise be to God. For it is good to sing praise to our God (Ps 14:1, 92:1). He is gracious and lovely. Praise is fitting for God. How pleasant and lovely it is to praise Him. It is appropriate to give praise.

What informs my praise? Why do I want to lavish so much praise on God?

Psalm 145 (The Message)

I lift you high in praise, my God, O  King!
    and I’ll bless your name into eternity.

² I’ll bless you every day,
    and keep it up from now to eternity.

³ God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
    There are no boundaries to his greatness.

⁵ Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
    I compose songs on your wonders.

⁶ Your marvelous doings are headline news;
    I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.

Praise is prompted by the unique nature of God. God has been generous. In response to His generosity, we want to honor God by giving praise and thanks to Him.

Praising God is a God-appointed calling. We have been formed to proclaim the praise of God (Is 43:21). Praise is both a duty and a delight (Ps 63: 3-8). An intimate relationship of a person with God is sufficient reason for praise.

God is Great:

He is infinite. His greatness is beyond what our human mind can fathom. We praise God because we know and acknowledge that God's greatness exceeds what our mind can grasp. God does great, unsearchable and marvelous things without number (Job 5:9).

In Ps 145, David praised God for His mighty acts, for His gracious provisions and for the way He responds to those who love Him. David is a man who knew what it means to be faced with challenging situations, to be betrayed, hunted, distressed and grieved. Yet despite the bad experiences he suffered, he was a man who knew how to praise God. He vowed to praise God everyday because He is great.

I will tell of the splendor of His majesty, meditate on them, and compose songs of praise about them.

God is Good:

God is good all the time. He put this song of praise in this heart of mine
- Don Moen

He is the definition of goodness. The epitome of all that is good. God's goodness is great and abundant. His works and words are of goodness and grace. He does good to all the children of men. He satisfies the desires of all those who fear Him.

Even when we do not understand all the plans He has for us. His very nature of being infinitely good is sufficient argument for us to praise Him as long as we exist, whatever situation we may be in.

I will lift up my hands in worship, in praise, in joy and in thanksgiving. I will celebrate God's abundant goodness.

God is Loving:

God is rich in love. He is full of loyal love. He is faithful to His promises. Everything He does is suffused with grace. Everything He does is right. The trademark of His works is love. God's love is truly precious. His love is enduring.

We can rejoice in the knowledge of His love and the assurance that this knowledge gives even if we do not momentarily feel it. There is satisfaction in praising God for His loyal love. It brings joy and comfort to the soul.

He listens to all who pray. He is near to all who call upon Him in truth. He hears the cry of those who fear Him. God is present everywhere. But He is near to those who call on Him. He is an ever present help in the time of need.

Overflowing with Praise:

My mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. My mouth shall be full of thanksgiving in response to the mercies received from God. Those who see His mercies in my life also should hear His praise from my lips. Openly I will make His glory known and tell of His goodness.

I want to employ the tongues of a million angels to praise the King of glory. I want to heap praise on God,  adorn Him, cloak Him and decorate Him with praise. I want to lavish praise on Him. Praise looks good on God.

I praise You O God from a grateful and thankful heart. I will praise You with my whole heart. Such praise has to be untainted by bitterness but from someone who is truly thankful.

It is a good day, a day to give thanks and praise to God. Let us join our friends in the US to pause and ponder on the goodness of God. Let us with a grateful and thankful heart give thanks and praise to God.

As we approach the end of 2012, it is a good time to reflect on His mercies this year, and with praise express our faith and confidence in Him to take care of all our desires, hopes and dreams for the year. He is able to do exceedingly more abundant than we can ask or imagine.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Sing your thanks to God in a song.

Make music and sing songs of thanks to the Lord.

Reference:

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/i/israel_houghton/#share

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/don_moen/god_is_good_all_the_time.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/praise/

http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/treasury-of-david/psalms-63-3.html