A few months ago, I wanted to give an artisan a gift. I’d followed him for years and admired his work ethic and attitude. I believed he deserved a reward.

I planned to fund an investment plan that would guarantee him an annual stipend for years. With that, he could pursue career options without the constant pressure to survive. But to access the gift, he needed a BVN, a bank account, and the skills to manage his online investment portal himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a bank account. The basic skills he would gain by using a mobile banking app are the same skills needed to navigate an investment platform.

I genuinely wanted to give him this gift, but I couldn’t imagine micromanaging it. So I gave him a one-off cash grant instead and moved on.

That experience made me reflect on how God works sometimes. I don’t think He withholds gifts from us. Many times, we simply lack the capacity to receive them. So He looks for someone else who’s ready.

Another thing I believe about God is that He rarely shows us the full plan. Here’s a simple example: if God wants to give you a million dollars, He probably won’t say so outright. Telling you removes the need for faith. Instead, He sends you information about financial literacy. You start seeing ads for investment courses because He knows you need specific skills to manage and sustain that million dollars. But He won’t say, “This ends with a million dollars.” If He did, you’d learn for the reward, not for growth — and that doesn’t build character.

You form character by doing what’s right for its own sake, not for the reward. If you saw the end goal, it would become a carrot. You’d chase the carrot, not the lesson.

Sometimes on the news, you hear of strangers who save people from burning buildings and become famous overnight. Chances are, their lives had shaped them with a spirit of sacrifice. When they saw people trapped, that instinct kicked in. They didn’t act because they expected fame. They acted because it was the right thing to do.

One more thing: keep a teachable spirit. I believe God hates wasted wisdom. It’s like casting pearls before swine. Act on what you learn immediately. You’ll find that when you implement what God shows you, He gives you more. It’s like a fuel tank — you must empty it to refill it.

“For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.” — Mark 4:25 AMP

Sometimes you may grow weary of the training and character building. I can relate. There’s a project I’m working on that just isn’t coming together. I have the funds, but other factors beyond my control keep delaying it. I think God is showing me that some things — like favour and access — can’t be bought. He’s also teaching me not to obsess over results. He needs me to trust the process. When the process is complete, the result will follow.

Back to the artisan. I chose to extend grace. I asked him to open a bank account and learn how to use his bank app. Jokingly, I told him to send me a ₦100 transfer to prove he had set it up. I haven’t told him about the investment plan waiting for him. Let’s see if, someday, he’ll be ready for his gift.he

For more, read Gifts and Love Languages