“When men are cast down, then thou shall say, there is a lifting up; and he shall save the humble person” – Job 22:29(KJV).
In life, people are not remembered for what they received but for what they gave. No wonder the scripture says it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Most people want to remain at the receiving end instead of the giving end, the reason being that it requires sacrifice and discipline to give but takes little or no effort to receive.
Archbishop Benson idahosa of blessed memory an addicted giver was challenging people to believe God for prosperity, one man challenged him that if everyone becomes rich who will be the poor to receive since the bible admonish the rich to give to the poor. To this, Benson replied, “I choose to be the rich giving to the poor because the hand that gives is always above the hand that receives.
There are so many things God requires us to give, not only money or material things. We can give our time, money, service, and our hands of fellowship, our love and care. We can donate blood to save lives. Dorcas was full of alms deeds; she gave to widows and those in need. There were so many that could have died of hunger and starvation that she put food on their tables, many that could have gone naked that she clothed. She died but her impact and influence lived on. Widows stood by her dead body weeping that this woman should not die. They sent for Apostle Peter who stretch forth his hands and lifted her up and presented her alive (Acts 9:36-42).
Today like every generation, people are cast down by sicknesses and infirmities, cast down by bad economy and poverty, cast down by sin and Satan, down in defeat and failure, hopelessness and despair, cast down in fear and frustration. We see them every day and we even talk about the issues of life that has cast them down in their affliction. Mountains do not go by describing them or talking about them, they rather increase in size because fear drowns faith and magnifies problems.
Observe that the spiritual injunction is not to complain about men who are cast down or to describe the seriousness of the issues that has cast them down or to assess or measure how deep down they have fallen. It says to say to them – “there is a lifting up”. Your mouth is given to you not to describe problems or complain about them but to cause positive change by speaking words of faith. Be a change agent and a lifter to the countless number of people cast down around you.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to bring positive change to my world in Jesus name.
Rev. Vincent Diolu