Remember the Skittles Principle

God wants to bless you beyond measure, but it starts with trusting Him enough to give back what He first gave to you. The story of a dad, his daughter, and a pack of Skittles paints a vivid picture of how we often cling to what God intended us to share. As you reflect on generosity, remember the Skittles Principle—everything we have is from Him, and open hands are the gateway to overflowing blessings.

Sometimes people are surprised to hear that God wants them to bring Him a special offering during His appointed times. “What could that possibly have to do with receiving more of the Lord’s blessings?” they ask me.

You’ll be able to understand God’s perspective better when I share a modern-day story about a man who took his young daughter to her first baseball game. Although she wasn’t particularly interested in the game, she loved Skittles and was thrilled when a vendor approached their aisle.

The father gladly bought her some Skittles and then asked if she would share some with him. However, the little girl refused, saying firmly, “No, Daddy, they’re MINE!”

The girl’s dad had purchased the Skittles in the first place, but now she claimed exclusive ownership over them. The father wasn’t asking for much, but he expected his daughter to honor their relationship and acknowledge that he was the source of everything she had.

How sad that many of us believers act in the same way toward our Heavenly Father. It pains them to give tithes and special offerings, even though they would have nothing at all without God’s blessing. He’s the source of everything any of us have.

Before we move on to the next chapter, I encourage you to take a few minutes and do this important exercise:

• First, look at your hands and clench them, making two fists. This is the posture of those of us who hoard our blessings. However, there’s a problem with this picture: If your hands are clenched to hold on to what you have, you won’t be in a position to receive anything more. Even worse, you’re likely to squash the things you hang on to if you squeeze them too tightly.
• Now, unclench your fists, and hold your hands with palms facing upward. You’re no longer hanging on to anything, which may make you feel insecure or vulnerable at first. But realize this: When you open up your hands and release all you have to God, your hands are now in a position to receive back from Him an abundance of blessings—MORE THAN ENOUGH!

God wants to bless you abundantly, my friend, but you need to follow His instructions. King Solomon wisely observed:

One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed
(Proverbs 11:24-25 NIV).

Do you see how profound this principle is? Your financial breakthroughs aren’t released until you trust God and are generous with the resources He’s already given you. When you allow fear or unbelief to make you stingy with your resources, the inevitable result will be poverty and financial lack.

However, you’ve probably met some Christians who say, “I never ask God to bless me. That would be selfish!” But consider this, my friend: It’s even MORE selfish for God’s people to remain in poverty and financial lack, because then we’ll have nothing to give to others.

And perhaps you’ve always thought you had to twist God’s arm in order to receive His blessings. Quite the contrary: He’s eager to bless you—not just financially, but also in your health, relationships, and peace of mind. He knows that the more you prosper, the more the people around you will observe His blessings and recognize what a great Heavenly Father He is.

Like any father, God wants to be proud of His kids. If your son or daughter was a championship athlete, you would probably tell your friends, “That’s my kid!” In the same way, God wants you to live such victorious lives that the world will take notice of what He has done in your life.

There’s a great scene in the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” where the townspeople ask about Butch and Sundance, “Who are those guys?!” These two men stood out from the crowd, and the surrounding bystanders couldn’t help but take note.

The world should be asking a similar question when they see you and me: “Who are those guys? How do I sign up to receive what they have?”

So even if you’ve never thought of biblical prosperity as something you should care about, remember Butch and Sundance. The world is watching. God wants to bless you in extraordinary ways, so you can make an extraordinary impact for His Kingdom.

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Excerpt taken from Seasons of Blessing: The Promises and Provision of God’s Appointed Times by David Cerullo

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