The word of God teaches in Galatians 6:10 that we do good to all, especially to those of the household of faith. The act of giving has a natural law of blessings attached to it, hence the Bible says “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” There may be no limit on how much one can go when it comes to showing acts of kindness as much as the mind can take. However a pressing question arises; how much ‘good’ is good enough in terms of money?

A question like this especially arises in a society dominated with a poverty-stricken mentality in its populace. Some persons with this mentality use scriptures like this as excuse for begging. There are several ways to do good -in cash and in kind. This article is focused on doing good in cash. If it is more blessed to give than to receive, why opt for the lesser blessing in receiving?

The Lesser Blessing in Receiving

It is okay to ask for help in difficult times but it is ignoble to make a profession out of it. The first mark of adulthood is taking responsibility. Be responsible for your life. People take responsibility for their own lives and that’s why others look up to them (Galatians 6:4-5). There is no need to get out of your bed every new day if we don’t intend to grow up.

Proverbs 6:9-11

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Do not wait for a miraculous breakthrough while you do nothing. ‘Professional receivers’ are often enticed by get-rich-quick schemes because their life philosophy is using little money to fetch a jackpot. Do you wonder why people remain below average standard of living from year to year despite all the prosperity proclamations in church? It is because all they have is faith without work. It is not about working hard, it is working smart. It is not about winning money in bets or get-rich-quick schemes, it is about earning it.

Some persons use a different method to obtain money from people. They ask for loans and never pay back. This is even worse than begging; it is stealing. Borrowing to never return is not a Christian act, it is stealing. It doesn’t matter how closely related the lender is or how wealthy they are. The Bible teaches in Matthew 5:37

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Requesting for a loan without an intent or a plan to pay back makes one a pretender, a liar and a thief.  Heaven has no space for people like this (Ephesians 4:25, Revelation 21:8). So in addition to their poverty, they may not make heaven if they do not repent. If you must borrow always, please use the bank.

The Unwise ‘Blessed’ Giver

Hello cheerful giver, God really loves you (2 Corinthians 9:7) but he also wants you to be wise (Matthew 10:16). Generosity is good, because while you bless others, God blesses you in return. Pastors preach this a lot. What many do not preach is the secret of financial freedom. First of all, money is not worth making if the aim of making it is to hoard riches for personal gratification. God entrusts people with riches to serve purpose in humanity. The act of making money however is not by giving. Don’t get it twisted. There are pastors out there who teach the prosperity gospel but do not even understand the first principle of wealth creation.

The Wise Blessed Giver

To become a true source of blessing to others you need to rise to a level of financial independence and until you arrive there, you must put wisdom to use when you try to be generous. Financial freedom or independence is a state where money serves you and not you serving money. One of the best books on finance I have read is ‘Money won’t make You Rich’ by Sunday Adelaja. He expounds principles of financial freedom to make money serve you while you serve God. 

People will never stop asking for money and you will never be able to satisfy everyone. So don’t wear yourself out trying to encourage laziness. Find your feet in the waters before trying to save someone from drowning else you both drown. It is your responsibility to understand the seasons; there is time for everything. There is a time to gather and a time to scatter. If you are scattering and gathering at the same time you may work for money all your life. Your aim should be to reach the height where you work for God while money works for you.

The first thing to do with your income is to pay God. Next, pay yourself. I mean SAVE. If you can’t save from a little income, you will neither be able to save from a large income. Saving is a discipline. It is foolish not to pay yourself but pay others. What I mean is this: if your budget has no column for savings and investment then you need a new budget. You cannot spend all your money without careful plan and look up to God for help (Luke 19:23-26). It is not faith; it is putting God to test.

The key to financial freedom is not charitable giving; first save your money then invest in assets that will generate more money. Avoid debts at all cost; it makes people remain slaves to money. Whether as giver or receiver, stay debt-free. It is the beginning of financial liberation.

I have learnt from bad experiences never to lend out money except I am willing to part with it. Jesus said it; lend, expecting nothing in return. Understand the society you live in. People with poverty mindsets expect you to help them. No matter how much you give them, it will never be enough if they don’t change their mindset. So in the long run, they barely grow up and they unknowingly try to bring others down with them.

Some persons believe others have enough so they borrow from them and expect that they never ask them for it. As a matter of fact, they have the temerity to come back for even more. The most disturbing part is that even some so-called Christians are culprits here (the household of faith). Unfortunately, these people do not even realize they are being opportunistic and that is the problem – financial illiteracy. They borrow money to meet wanton and ostentatious needs; things that even the lender would rather forgo to keep expenditure below income. Please direct them to the bank when they come asking for an amount you cannot conveniently part with.

Banks have security measures to get their money from them; you may not have one. If you don’t lend out money, you may be tagged as a bad person. If you do and they fail to keep their promise, you may decide to enforce the law on them. You still get to be called same; “how much is N10, 000 compared to the money he has?” Your best bet is to avoid lending. Give only what you can let go and do so only from your profit.

Conclusion

If you are always asking people for financial assistance, stop and ask yourself what the problem really is? Are you destined for poverty? Certainly not! God wills for us all to prosper, only if we are also willing (Isaiah 1:19). Willingness is not just a wishful thinking, it is action. Take the right action. Subject yourself to learn and apply the laws of prosperity. Walk with the wise and grow wise (Proverbs 13:20). Instead of going to borrow or beg, humble yourself and ask them to teach you the principles they use so you can apply them to your life. Only then will your season of poverty be over and you become a blessing to others.

The best ‘good’ you can do to anyone financially is to make them financially intelligent. Giving is not limited to cash. Teach them how to build themselves up and regulate cash flow. It is teaching them how to fish, not giving them the fish. If you give a financial illiterate N500, 000.00 to set up a business today, he will be back after a very short time to ask for more. He has no clue on the laws of money. You will never be able to do good enough to him.

How much good is good enough? Teach them how to manage money. Let them hate you for not throwing your hard earned money on them, it is for a greater good. Save your money, multiply it and live off the profit of your investments.

P.S: Do your benevolence from the dividends of your investments, not your capital.

Did you enjoy this article? Don’t hesitate to share. You may also like my post on An Excellent Spirit. You can find the Priceless Journal on facebook and twitter. For updates on new posts, please subscribe to my newsletter.

For prayers and counselling, we are just an e-mail away.