“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Luke 6:38
I remember the time when I was challenged to give. I wasn’t making any regular income, but I still had bills in my wallet, regular food on the table, and a steady roof on my head. I just didn’t have much to spend on myself.
I happened to have a week’s worth of money in my wallet, and I was seated comfortably in a Bible study. The preacher was a guest from England, and he spoke about how God multiplied a person’s money when that person sowed finances into good soil. To give was an act of faith—not just an act of generosity– but an act of faith that God provided for our needs.
Before I left the Bible study, I decided to empty my wallet and give my money to the ministry of the preacher.
That’s when I had a mind-blowing week.
Around three days after the Bible study, a friend of mine decided to surprise me with a personal financial gift– twice the amount of what was in my wallet. Then another friend of mine who knew I operated a magazine decided to give money to the magazine. I remember thinking: Lord, you DO know how to multiply when we give!
I had another incident.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself once more in a situation where my savings were dwindling. I didn’t have any summer job, and my teaching load for the school year had ended. I remember looking at my last P2,000 in my wallet and feeling challenged. Could I let go of the P2,000, plant it in good Kingdom soil, and watch God come to my rescue? Or should I just save my money?
I winced. It was a familiar test. I could go with the safety of saving, but I knew in my heart that there was a sure, spiritual key that I could practice. It went against logic: GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. I reminded myself of the time I once emptied my wallet. After arguing with my heart for almost an hour, I decided to give. I knew of a ministry to the urban poor, and so I gave my P2,000 to them.
Suffice it to say that before the day was over, I was offered a summer job that gave me money every day for the whole summer.
“Give, and it will be given to you.” Such a simple, simple line from the Bible, but how powerful it is when practiced!
Janina Marie Rivera is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine, a teacher of world literature, and a student of the Bible. She enjoys reflecting on life’s curve balls and plateaus. She resides in the Philippines, the country known for people who smile a lot.
