THE BLESSED OF THE LORD

The Lord taught me quite early how to think. Many believers don't know how when I was much younger, I would wake up and think of who to go to in order to meet my needs. I have several uncles and aunties and it is only natural that young ones go to their relatives for some "support".

All I did at the time was think about them and how they could help me out of indebtedness or to meet a need.

In 1998, I needed to pay for WAEC and things were very tough for us as a family, I went to an aunt to ask for the 3000 naira to register; she replied by saying "A pregnancy of 9 MONTHS should not give one an issue if one is serious minded. Didn't your parents know you're in SS3 and will write WAEC?" The insult was on the spot. I thought about it for many days. I could have gotten angry or bitter and swore that I would one day make her eat her words but that is not the mindset of the blessed!

The Holy Spirit taught me to think of how to be a blessing to this aunty and anyone else who comes to me for help. He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Change your mindset, start giving. But I had nothing to give at the time.

Some months later, we had a family function; my aunt's car tyres were discovered to be flat. I quickly removed my Agbada and changed the tyres for her. She wanted to give me something for my trouble, but I said, "No ma, I am a now a blessing to the world." Of course, she just smiled and didn't really get what I was saying.

My mindset had shifted. I was always thinking of what to give others and not what to take from them. That is the mindset of the blessed but scavengers are always thinking of how to take from others like termites and other decomposers, they only profit off the losses of others. That shouldn't be the position a Believer would find himself or herself in this life. The mindset of the blessed will insist on making the life of those who come across it better, stronger and greater than it met it.

You give of yourself, you give of your substance, you give of your time, you give of your thoughts and experiences, you give of your feelings and concerns but always you're trying to make the lot of others better as a default. You don't do "give me -I give you" or "Give so that I can boast about it." You're not carnal.

Givers are always preserved from many troubles even in places where they have no influence or connection. The takers however find themselves always gnawing and hoarding because they have a mindset of never enough or what I have will soon finish. Blessings are eternal while riches are for a while. The earlier a Believer learns this the better.

I have a friend who came into money early, he started building houses all over Lagos as he accumulated assets One day this friend asked me how many houses I had and I said one; he said, "You're blessed with youth now and you spend much on charity; when you grow old, do you plan to be borrowing from those you're helping now in order to meet your needs?" I laughed. I told him he used to be richer than me with his houses but I have always been more blessed than he was..he thought about my words for several days, then he wrote to me one day and said, "You're right, I work in a bank and all, I have a constant source of income and by right I should be richer than you but you are always the one giving me things... I cannot explain it but I'd love to have what you have.”

As a Believer, you're the seed of Abraham, the blessed of the Lord. There is a way you must see yourself. There is a way you must conduct yourself. Melchizedek saw Abraham and called him blessed. He didn't say "Abraham shall be blessed" He said "Blessed be GSW, possessor of Heaven and EARTH."

He said this because Abraham conducted himself as the blessed one. He gave the best to God and fought for the right of his men but he refused to be referred to as the product of anyone's blessings. When he was buying the cave at Machpelah, he had the option of picking it for free but he didn't. He paid because the blessed owes no man. You must be deliberate about shifting your mindset from that of a beggar to that of the blessed.

You have something always to give! Give it and be determined to always give instead of queuing for a handout. Archbishop Benson Idahosa told the story of his visit to the USA one year. He said he met 16 missionaries soliciting for funds to build a church in Africa. They were writing letters and meeting church leaders to support their cause financially. He said they came to meet him and he said "This approach is unbefitting of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ."

He said he ministered in given locations and returned to Nigeria with ten times the amount of money the missionaries were begging for. When he returned to the USA years later, he said they were still there...begging!

The Blessed does not concern himself with the mindset of the beggar. It is the beggar that wakes up praying fervently that the blessed does not die and that such should favour him or her in one way or the other. Jesus conducted himself as the blessed of the Lord He defied situations and circumstances to bring joy and value to those he met throughout his ministry on earth. He is still doing the same today.

I have never written a letter soliciting for funds to anyone before, rather I wrote to those with huge projects asking them how I can be of help. Even if I didn't have when I was writing, by the time they reply I will be swimming in abundance. The gospel is my life. I am the blessed of the Lord. Let us train ourselves in righteousness.

Let's cultivated the mindset of the blessed and begin to grow in the substance of our reality in Christ I love you

 -GSW-