We received an alert from her that day. It looked like her tithe. My natural mind quickly assumed she must have had some huge financial inflows. A few days later, I learnt she was not buoyant financially. I called to ask; “How about the money you sent as tithe?” Her response proved me wrong; “Sir, it was not my tithe. It was all I had.” God sorted her out afterwards; she had more than enough.
Friend, on the journey to greatness with God, we would all make sacrifices. Sacrifices provide platforms for divine visitations (1 Kings 3:3-5). Today, we can claim Genesis 8:22 because of Noah’s sacrifice (Genesis 8:20-22). Noah changed the situation in his life and on the earth by acts of sacrifice. Sacrifices would change your season, too (2 Kings 3:26-27).
Sacrifice is beyond giving money or sacrificing things. It is a spiritual experience that accomplishes more than monetary giving and receiving. Abraham unlocked his destiny of wealth and abundance via sacrifice; he gave prosperity to his posterity (Genes 22:15-18). You need to take your walk with the Lord from convenience to sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24).
A sacrifice must cost you something. It would necessarily touch you. God demonstrated His love towards us by sacrifice (John 3:16). Jesus kept giving until He gave Himself (John 12:24). Like someone rightly said; “Any gospel that does not touch your pocket has not touched your heart.” Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).
Notice that one of the issues that Pharaoh had with the Israelites was going to sacrifice with their substance. He wanted them to go before the Lord without their substance; they objected (Exodus 10:24-26). The devil also wants you to serve God with your lips but not with your pocket. You need to let him know that all that you are and all that you have belong to God (1 Corinthians 4:7, 6:19-20).
What God requires from us is not equal giving but equal sacrifice. We cannot all give equally because we have not been blessed equally, but we should make equal sacrifice. Before God, someone who gave his entire twenty thousand naira has given more than someone who gave fifty thousand out of five hundred thousand naira. God cannot be mocked (Luke 21:1-4, Galatians 6:7).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria
