Pay It Forward

My friend called some days ago. We had last spoken a while back, and he had some sad news to share. Yet, in the process of our conversation, I realized that I was the one who needed this chat more than he did. He reached out and came through in ways I never expected.

Have you ever experienced a moment when someone showed you unexpected kindness when you were struggling, and God sent help through another person? Maybe someone paid a bill when you did not know how you would make ends meet, or a friend encouraged you just when you were ready to give up.
What did that moment feel like? Relief? Gratitude? Maybe even tears of joy?

Now imagine this: what if you could be that person for someone else? What if you could be the answer to someone’s silent prayer, the unexpected miracle they never saw coming? That is the heart of paying it forward and it is exactly how God designed us to live. God moves through people. He touches lives, opens doors, and provides miracles and He often does it through willing hearts who choose to be His hands and feet. Think about it: Who in your life has been a vessel of God’s love? Who has sacrificed, prayed, or poured into you when you needed it most and now, who is God asking you to bless in return?

The Bible is full of stories that illustrate this principle. One of the most powerful is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). A man was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Two people, ones you would expect to help walked by without stopping. However, a Samaritan, a man from a group despised by the Jews, chose compassion. He stopped. He bandaged the man’s wounds. He put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and paid for his care. Why? Not because he was going to get anything in return. Not because he had extra time or money but because love moves us to action.

“Go and do likewise,” the Lord spoke in Luke 10:37. These words are not a suggestion. They are a divine command. When we pay it forward, we step into the supernatural flow of God’s provision. We become part of something bigger than ourselves, a chain reaction of miracles. The truth is, someone is praying for a breakthrough right now, and you might be the answer.

• That struggling single parent at the grocery store, counting the change to see if they can afford a loaf of bread.
• The young man who just lost his job and does not know how he will make rent.
• The elderly neighbour who has not had a visitor in weeks.
• The teenager battling depression who just needs someone to talk to.

What if your act of kindness is the very thing that renews their hope? The Bible tells us in the book of Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” God’s Kingdom operates on a principle that defies the logic of the world: the more you give, the more you receive. Not always in material ways, but in the richness of a life filled with divine purpose and joy.

Maybe you are thinking, “What if I do not have much to give?” Here is the beautiful truth: Paying it forward is not about how much you have. It is about a heart willing to give whatever it can. I have learnt this firsthand. I may not always know the full impact of my giving, but I trust that even the smallest act of generosity can be life-changing. I normally take small packs of groceries, maybe just USD10 worth, pray over them, and give them to someone in need. It may seem small, but for the person receiving, it could mean the difference between hunger and a meal, despair and renewed faith. In all these simple acts of kindness, what has kept me going is the promise in 2 Corinthians 9:8-10 that says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

Therefore, every time I give, even when it feels small, I remember that God is multiplying it in ways I cannot see. My part is to trust, obey, and give. His part is to do the miraculous. The principle of paying it forward keeps me going and if there is anything that makes me sleep peacefully at night, it is knowing that I have been the Master’s hands and feet. That I have answered His call to love, to give, and to be a blessing to someone in need.

Right now, I want you to take a moment. Ask God, “Lord, who needs a touch of Your love today? Show me how I can be Your hands and feet in these troubling times.” It does not have to be grand. Just obey the nudge. Maybe it is making a phone call you have been putting off. Maybe it is speaking encouragement over someone who is on the verge of giving up. Whatever it is, do it with joy, without hesitation, without expecting anything in return and then watch. You will see how the Lord multiplies that one act into something greater than you ever imagined.

It is ultimately important to realise that when we pay it forward, we do not just change someone’s day.

We change their faith.
We change their hope.
We change their future.

Are you ready to start the ripple effect? Go. Do likewise and watch how heaven moves.