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Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Dear readers, this is quite a long article but stick to the end to get the koko cos the sweetest part of the food is usually at the bottom of the pot.
Looking back at my childhood days, I remember growing up in my parents’ 3 bedroom apartment with cracked edges of the wall and rusty railings. It was a two storey building and we were on the first floor; a home shared by my immediate family plus uncles and aunties (typical naija home). It was not the best accommodation but I’m grateful to God that I had a place to call home. During these days, my dad will give us coins for offering on Sunday and when we asked for extra money for biscuits; he’ll say there’s nothing else to give. Then when we get to church and there’s a need in the house of God, my dad will spring up and give thousands of naira. A shocker was the day he rose up and said he was giving in millions and we were like What da …??? This man just told us he did not have any money in the house and now he’s giving in millions. (we were kids and didn’t have the kind of understanding we have now) We’ll all go back home angry and grumbling. Little did we know that my dad was investing in our future; I was about 11yrs old then. Fast forward, few years later the driver came to my boarding school to take me back home for the long holidays; he drove into this big white duplex and I saw my younger ones running out to welcome me. Was this our home? Yeah…it was a gigantic transition from the house we lived before. So what happened???
I’ve thought about it many times and pondered on why the same people you see begging on the streets with two hands and two legs, walking perfectly well and dressed well remain there every week, every month and every year. They’re healthy, walking tall and looking strong but yet prefer to always seek for whom to receive money/food from. These people have the mind-set of always taking. I call them “the takers/receivers”; they’re never giving but always receiving. They are the kind of people who never have enough, anytime you see them they are always looking for who to take from. “Oga, your boy never chop today oh”; or “madam, anything for the boys?” They think about themselves alone and no matter how much they get from others, it is never enough. To give or render help to another person means shortening their ration so they hold on to every penny they have like their life depended on it. A taker has limited his/her success in life to what he/she can receive from others instead of going out there to change things for themselves.
Now there are another set of people - the “givers” whose mind-set is on how they can help others. These people may not have as much as people think they do but they’re always willing to help, just like my dad. Again, I began to wonder why the same people who own big cars and big homes get bigger, richer and wealthier by the day (I don’t mean people who have embezzled government money to become rich, I mean people who have genuinely worked their way to the top). Today you’ll hear Mr X just acquired a massive property, tomorrow he just finished building a 5-star hotel; another day he just invested in something big and the story continues. Some peeps may say “ah ah, na only you get money?” Well, it sure appears so. It’s not magic, just a simple principle which has been applied over the years and works all the time irrespective of your colour, race or religion. GIVERS NEVER LACK….NEVER EVER! This is why I gave you that lil story above. I’m a witness.
Money gravitates to those who know how to use it; money was created to be spent; to be used by people like you and me. Money has no value until it’s used; if not it is just a piece of paper in your hands. A water pipe that channels water to different places will never run dry because there’s constant flow of water through it. A man who constantly gives without measure will never run out because God knows that you’re always ready to give. Therefore He’ll always stock you up with more than enough in order to reach out to others. He's the God that gives you power to get wealth (Deutronomy 8:18).
An example is Strive Masiyiwa (pictured above); he would have been just another billionaire’s name in my head but this case is different. I’ve sat closely with him in church, heard him speak about how he started and how far he has come. Popularly known as Bro Strive in church (so humble) used to have nothing…I mean his wife used to give him money sometimes but today is listed amongst Forbes billionaires. He owns various orphanages, scholarships and trust funds. The man has a heart of giving, totally sold out to the gospel and to make an impact in the lives of others. Just say the word and Bro Strive will reply “I’m available”, so tell me…why won’t he keep getting richer and richer? Many rich people today look for ways to give back to society, visiting orphanages, motherless babies home, helping the needy etc. Let this be your heart desire. It doesn’t matter how much you have in your account, if you are not a giver and not moved to help the needy; you have a poverty mentality.
Are u still asking why the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer? The poor does not want to spare anything for anybody, all they think of is me, myself and I. Choose to be different. Choose to have the mind-set of a GIVER not a TAKER. I’ve grown to understand the principle of giving and I can stand to tell you that IT WORKS 101%.
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