Gifts & Rooms

‘A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.’ Proverbs 18:16

Last Tuesday, I managed to deliver a gift to a friend who revealed his birthday as the year had just commenced. I took to attention this date, but when the actual day arrived, I was temporarily low on cash. Regardless, I promised to get the gift to him later. Those who know me know my art business, which specializes in calligraphy. I got to know his favorite quotes, and jotted them down, framing the entire piece. When I took it, he was lost for words. He very much loved the gift. He then said he’d make it up to me, and … and he invited me for a space he’s in that I always secretly admired, which was hard for me to access before.

As I returned and meditated on his joy, I heard God say, “That gift just created room for you in his heart. It bought you favor in his sight.”

Many of us do not have room in others’ hearts. Even if we are related, someone could uphold their friend more than family. I remember a cousin of mine who had much influence in the family because of his job. Getting him was hard paper. Of course, I didn’t want to manipulate him for his money, but like all of us, we just want them to know that we too exist, and that we could be friends. I saw an opportunity to make him a gift when he was promoted to the highest office at his workplace.

While the rest ate the cake he had cut at a family gathering, the gift I’d brought was unwrapped and it stole the show. He ‘awwed’ as he hugged me and asked for photos to be taken with me included. As he left, he beckoned me saying, “You don’t know what you just did. I’m going to bring so much business you’ll regret having done this.” I smirked back. The next big family gathering, while many were introducing themselves to him, he saw me. Guess what, I didn’t introduce myself. My name was stuck in his mind.

There was another prominent man of influence I met who had been employed by this cousin of mine. I only said I was my cousin’s cousin (pun intended) and this man paid more attention to me. As Solomon wrote, you can see indeed that my gift brought me before great men. The gift here could be an actual present, your talent, or skill. ‘Making room’ actually means there was no place for you before. If my friend’s heart (or my cousin’s) was a house, before my gift reached there was literally no room for me to crush. Now there will be. They’ll tell me “You can come and even sleep over.” A thing that would have been impossible before the gift came. When we don’t give gifts, there isn’t room to be invited over. But the more we give, we are invited to pass by, to stay longer, to sleep over and eventually ‘to stay as long as we want.’ This is what makes a girl fall in love with a boy. His random letters, and flowers and footing the bills on dates are all forms of gifts. Continually, the access granted into her heart increases on a daily.

The calamitous side of this however is when a lady isn’t guarding her heart with all diligence. Much access can be granted, whereby a young woman ends up ‘opening her legs’ as a result of receiving the latest iPhone or a car as a gift. Not every gift deserves one’s most sacred room. This could be the heart of hearts, the inner most safe room or bedroom which could be the most vulnerable as well. Africans know the gravitas of the parents’ bedroom in a home. It wasn’t to be messed with, as it could be harboring the school fees and all financial support of that home; no wonder it had to be kept locked most of the times, because, it also held other valuables. So, the reader must be cognizant, that even if every gift MAKES room, it’s the receiver who determines where the room is made. Some people expand their hearts (houses) to accommodate the gifter. Others simply pick a room already existing, empty it and place the gifter there. This usually happens when a girl has been heartbroken before. When a new boy comes, she’ll think he’s like the former. So, she might not confess it, but subtly, she’ll throw him in the ex’s room without bothering to empty it out. If he persists, she might clear the room for him. If not, that relationship might not work out as the new boy will keep staring at the photos of the old boy within the room he’s been allocated.

Also, we must discern the gift especially for those that are to be used by God. In Numbers 22, Balak wants the prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. Thus, he offered silver and gold, and to promote Balaam to positions of high honor if he only did as Balak wanted, even if it wasn’t in line with God’s wishes. These rewards are called rewards of divination, whereby the gift of prophecy is used for selfish purposes and not unto God’s. Prophets like Balaam were very scary people back then, for what they said usually came to pass. So, if Balaam pronounced a curse, it’d have been. Now by default, the gifts Balak presented could have created room for him to do what Balaam wanted. But fortunately, Balaam was learned, and he said, “Even if you offered me a palace of silver and gold, I can’t do anything against God’s will.” The gifts were brought along the second time, after Balaam had already refused them, but today, sadly, we have so many Balaams who have been blinded by simple gifts, and ended up creating rooms that were never approved by God! We must therefore have discernment in order not to lose our ranks!  

Nevertheless, that aside, if we return to the first testimonies, and bother not to look into the details of ‘room’, we have to be rest assured, that every time we gift others (whether with our talents or through objects, or financially) we gain favor, and attention in the eyes of the recipient. The queen of Sheba came bearing gifts to King Solomon. Hers were spices that had never been abundant in Israel. The result of this was that Solomon gave her all that she desired — whatever she asked! (1 Kings 10:13) Jacob by Rebekah’s help made such a good meal for Isaac that he obtained room to be blessed.

Perhaps you’d try buying your boss something to appreciate him or her on their birthdays. Perhaps you’d buy that parent of yours a small gift that you haven’t talked to in many years. You’d be surprised at how each of these will open up a door for you into their hearts, starting friendships or mending the broken pieces, sparking new conversations and provoking forgiveness. As you work and earn money, set some aside for the generous gift that you will take to that someone who you desire to reconcile with or to be friends with. Room will be created for you!