G-Source

 

Some days ago, one of our younger siblings came visiting with his fiancée. It was a big deal for us; we have a younger sibling about to get married and that means original Nigerian party loading (***inserts ijo ope mi da.) It's been so long we attended any party, especially a wedding ceremony, so we're definitely looking forward to this. Anyway, while we were advising them and going over plans, Hubs and I began to talk about different things, including money and the importance of having God as the main pillar in any marriage. We talked about how sometimes it looks like we have so much money, and it doesn't help that we're both all about the paparazzi life (always looking for excuses to glam up and take pictures. We used to be so religious about monthly anniversaries till adulthood and parenthood took over 😂) and we get comments like Chairman, Una get money, Governor and Iyawo Governor, and so on (which we now gladly accept (unlike before) because good things fit us, biko and if people see us as wealthy, who are we to use our mouth to contest same, especially because we're covenant seeds of Father Abraham?✌)

As the conversation proceeded, we paused to ask ourselves one hilarious but serious question we've constantly asked ourselves in our marriage, but more frequently in the past 6 months. I shifted my gaze from the intending couple to Hubs and said "babe, are we rich?" and he started laughing. Then we turned to our siblings (because once our brother marries his girlfriend, she will become our sister too, abi?) and told them the truth, which is what I want to share very briefly in today's blog post.

Let me pause to say "hello, hello, happy new month, happy international women's day and happy mother's day in advance." Yes, bulk greeting is the way o, seeing that I'm only coming back to the blog after almost a month. 😀 I could have sworn that I would be back on the blog way earlier, say 5th of March, a week after my last post . Alas, man proposes, God disposes, because that's the only thing I can say about this beautifully busy March.😀 

I plan to share another post almost right after this one (I'll probably type it and upload two days after this one goes live) to give you a summary of the sweet, not so sweet and downright hilarious events of March, so stay tuned. But I recommend you follow me on Instagram if you're not already following so that you can be updated when every new blog post drops, and also because I sometimes share "word on the go" via captions on my IG page.

Back to today's post.

I'll backtrack a bit.

Sometime last week or two weeks ago (I can't remember now), I saw a post on Instagram where Funto Ibuoye was talking about how God literally began to teach her to change her mindset about her business as her source of income. She went on to say God told her He was the source and nothing else, and this helped her to stop depending on the number of projects her company handled in a month for sustenance. When I saw that post, it resonated so much and led me into deep reflection about my entire life.

I was privileged to be born to parents that had God and nothing else. I know that doesn't sound like privilege because it's okay to have God but what of money? 😀 Abi how are we going to feed, go to school, wear clothes and shoes? But my parents trained my siblings and I with every dime they had and more importantly, they taught us to be content and depend on God for any and everything. 

All that training didn't go down well for someone like me because when I was in secondary school, I stole things from other people for the first two sessions (true story). I even stole from my dad. I knew when he got his meagre salary and where he kept it and I knew how to slip out notes from the middle (because back then they used to pay their salary in cash, and in mints. So the notes used to be numbered after each other. Foolish me would take the notes without realising that he would still find out because of how the notes were numbered.😂)

Anyway, I eventually surrendered my life totally to God in JSS3 and asked God to help me deal with the spirit of theft and he did.

Fast forward to University days and things had become slightly better than when we were kids but not so good that we could afford a lot. So I got N3000 as my monthly stipend and somehow (I don't know how), this money lasted and I was even able to lend people money conveniently. Remember I was now serious with my relationship with God.

Fast forward to today, especially in the last two years, with no stable source of income (I'm mostly a freelancer for different things and I run a business and you know business is not predictable, especially since COVID 😂), I can't tell you categorically how I'm able to live a comfortable life; how my needs are met and my bills paid.

So when I saw that video by Funto and she shared how she used to literally carry her business on her head and be calculative, get worried and anxious when there are no projects, run tons of ads, sleep and wake up on Instagram, I laughed because she was talking about me, and probably about you reading this post.

This topic is one that even my mentor and I had been talking about a lot recently, and in one of our discussions, she asked me one question that I want to pose to you today.

Think of whatever it is you're doing for work (or as a source of income). How much of that thing can you do to live a comfortable life? For instance, if you're a business owner selling specific products, how many items will you have to sell to finally hang your boots and still live your dream life?

I bet it's going to be a lottttt.

When COVID struck, I, like many other people, panicked. I wanted to monetise some of my talents, I was super anxious, I started doing things coaches were asking people to do make money because desperate times call for desperate measures, right? But even though I had results (thank God for His mercy), I was burnt out more than I ever have in all my life; I constantly felt a dissatisfaction that no amount of sale could quench; I got overwhelmed countless times and the circle just continued.

Does this mean you should not work hard? After all, different parts of the bible talk about being diligent [Proverbs 22:29; Proverbs 14:23-24; Proverbs 10:4-5]. Absolutely not.

I was very stressed in 2020 and 2021 because I worked in my own strength. It didn't seem like it at the time because I thought I was relying on God for every move I made but after a deep reflection and my time away in December, God began to show me some things including comparing my 3k per month days in Uni till now when I could afford more. The difference between those times (boy, did I have peace and was never lacking despite the meagre pocket money) and now (stopped at 2021 because a girl is wiser) is that I trusted God completely. I put him first; I paid my tithe (never joke with this) first and handed the rest over to God and somehow the 90% (however little) was more than enough to take me through.

We're 3 months into the year and if I compare my productivity levels in the last two years to now versus results (not just in terms of money but overall peace and satisfaction), I see a huge difference just by acknowledging and relating with God as my SOURCE.

Nothing can take that position - not all the money in the world; not a rich husband; not the sharpest brain - nothing.

The bible says in Psalm 127 vs 1-2 that

"Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep."

Meaning that you can toil all day; put out the best ads; be the best in your industry; be a financial guru and money master such that you know how to save and invest till the heavens fall; yet none of those things can satisfy, neither can they be depended on for sustenance.

So every now and then when hubs and I are able to envision a project (especially projects that our salaries can't ordinarily cater for), embark on it, and complete it without borrowing or acquiring debts, we look at ourselves and ask that question: "Are we rich?"😂😂

And the answer to that is Yes we are. We are rich in Christ Jesus, blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

I encourage you today to change your mentality about God as the next option. He is the source. The bible says in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek FIRST God's kingdom (the things that makes God's heart beat) and His righteousness and every other thing (insert anything you so desire in this life, anything at all) shall be added unto you. 

It's not enough to chant this popular scripture. You must begin to soak it in word for word; let it digest in your mind and then begin to act it out.

Baby steps are allowed. You will get anxious time again (I still do) but stop yourself from staying anxious about the next promotion, next sale, next dream car, dream home, dream life. Slowly but surely, you can attain the state of acknowledgement and acceptance that GOD is the SOURCE.

And trust me, when you do, you will never experience lack again. I promise!

This is where I'll be ending today's post.

As always, I hope the person for whom God inspired and intended this post reads it and is blessed by it.

Till the next post,

Stay rooted in God as your source.😉