The book of Proverbs Chapter 18 Verse 16, it tells us that offering gifts is one way of being close to someone’s heart and thoughts. It opens up a space, even if there was no space. It also makes him/her approach great people with high ranks. Let me give a good example of this thought. Remember Jacob, brother to Esau, well he got into a life or death situation with his blood brother. He traded his food for Esau’s firstborn birthright. At the moment Esau was not thinking right, he was just hungry. All that ran in his mind was “FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!” So he decided to do the transaction and then the bigger mistake was done. Jacob went and took his blessing pretending to be Esau and he ran away to his uncle, Laban. Soon after 14 years of hard work and labor, Jacob became wealthy and decided to leave his uncle with his two wives, flocks, herds, servants and jewelry.

  He sent out word to his brother that he was going to pass by but he understood that his brother wanted to kill him. Esau had arranged 400 troops assigned to kill him on arrival. God gave Jacob wisdom to escape this fatal situation. He gathered his goods and decided to offer them as gifts to his brother. He separated them into three groups which will follow each other. He sent the first and told them to say that if they are asked what are they and whom they are for, the should say that it’s from Jacob and they are gifts for them. So when they met Esau and the troops, they responded as instructed by Jacob. Esau was unable to attack them. Not long after the first group had arrived, the second group and made him unable to think clearly for the great things he has received. Shortly after, the third group came and changed Esau’s mind from a vengeful mindset to a welcoming heart.

The third group told him that Jacob was shortly behind him, Esau instructed them not to attack but to welcome him peacefully. When Jacob arrived, his brother embraced him and kissed him, on the cheek. You see the presence of these gifts has changed the mindset of a very angry man to a welcoming person. See this gift has created a room in the heart of this young man and made themselves a room that changes everything from the mind to the heart. Another example is about Elijah and the widow. This widow had an outstanding debt but when she saw the prophet, she decided to offer a gift of food though she didn’t have much. She baked for the prophet, Elijah, and offered a place to stay. This made the prophet feel very welcomed and the widow made her way to Elijah’s heart and made it that whenever she had a problem, Elijah would remember and God would answer her.

To conclude, all I am saying is that we should offer gifts worth meaning to the one receiving. When we wholeheartedly offer a gift to God, we create room in His presence. When in trouble, God answers without hesitation. When facing challenges, solutions are brought to us in unimaginable ways. Even to our buddies and family members and the rest of the world, when we offer simple pure meaningful words, we get space in their hearts and thoughts, just imagine, when you give gifts of household items like a chair, they will not only see the gifts but also the giver of the gifts. They will be seeing a chair, they see you, they see a desk they see you.

Be more of a giver than a receiver and you’ll see the results being very fruitful.