This week, Dr. Jerry Savelle passed. When I heard the news, it pained me. It seemed like it was going to be a regular Monday morning but nope, someone that mattered to me died.
I know what you’re thinking, “did I know him personally?” And the answer is, no, I didn’t. But like everyone we care about, it is how they touched our hearts and lives that make us feel an attachment to them. If a stranger starts sending you £5 everyday, soon, they stop to feel like a stranger but someone that gives you £5 everyday. Why do you care for your parents and family members? Coz they took care of you when you were little, are always there when you come home or when you call. You get my point.
This is why I am writing this actually, to say how Dr. Jerry touched my heart and life. His family did ask for eulogies and testimonies but this isn’t really for that. My truest desire is that as I share this, someone else will be touched and they can go on and touch someone else and on and on.
If you didn’t know Dr. Savelle, he was a preacher. His primary assignment was teaching God’s people how to talk and walk in The Favour of God. He could be easily tagged a “prosperity preacher” but, that’s a different discussion (though, if you have that prejudice, let me know if you feel the same way after reading this).
I started listening to Jerry Savelle’s messages some time in December, 2023. It was after one of my, “something needs to change” moments. When something is not right in your life, you can either sit there and accept it or do something about it to change it. I learnt to do the latter. So, for example, a while ago, when I thought there was too much judgement, criticism and self-loathing in my life, I had a “something needs to change” moment and said, “Well, who would be considered the expert on grace and mercy today?” I found their material and consumed it like my life depended on it (coz it did). And today, I am a person of grace and love (not Ndaboski 😂) and I’m learning everyday to receive God’s grace and treat myself and others the same way.
Similarly, at that point in December 2023, I was tired of what seemed like a cycle of “bad luck” coming my way and went, “Hm, who is the expert on favour and blessings? I need to consume their material”. Well, that person was Jerry Savelle.
Before I continue, I must say that when motivational speakers say, “Success or good things in life happen as a result of attitude” they are not so wrong. I guess, where they might be slightly wrong is making it seem like it is about our outward, bodily or physical-postural attitude, no! The Apostle John put it better and said, “We will be in health and prosper as OUR MINDS prosper”. Apostle Paul did one better, “We are transformed by the renewing of the attitudes of OUR MINDS”.
This was my reasoning behind consuming those materials; I knew that if my mind could change, my life would follow. I must also say that changing your mind and ultimately, your life does not happen at the point of consuming knowledge. It is in experience – the application of that knowledge in situations that are in fact contrary to it that your mind is truly changed. It is much like the Apostle Paul put it, “Problems help develop endurance, endurance helps develop strong character and strong character helps strengthen Faith”. The Surgeon that graduated top of his class is not great because of how many things he knows about the human anatomy but how well he can dissect and put that anatomy back together. And that only comes through experience – actual surgeries, bloody unlike the pages of a textbook as they may be.
In many ways, you never really know that what you’re reading or hearing is true until there is an actual occurrence in your life you can tie it to. You never really know that you are loved unconditionally until you do something you are not proud of and God blesses you with second chances, strengthens you to overcome and answers your prayer. You never really know you are blessed and highly favoured until you are broke and someone you haven’t seen for 10years blesses you with a new job. You never really know you are strong, till you build a beautiful marriage, raise 3 great kids while getting a degree and running a small business. You never really know!
YET, it all begins with knowing. If it doesn’t cross your mind that God loves you unconditionally, when you do mess up, you won’t even know to receive that love. If it doesn’t percolate your mind that you are blessed and highly favoured, you won’t even know to keep applying for jobs and expecting good responses. If it never enters your mind that you are strong, you won’t even know to stay in your marriage, love those kids, apply for that course and register that business. You won’t!
Unpleasantly, as long as we are in this wicked world, there is no end to this process of renewing our minds and applying knowledge in situations that require it. Coz stopping the process is not stagnancy, it is retrogression. As soon as we stop eating healthy meals, we are immediately eating unhealthy meals, there is no middle ground except under the ground (if you catch my drift). As soon you stop believing, you start doubting. There is no autopilot too. It always has to be active. We always have to choose life!
This is why I found Jerry Savelle, to know things about favour that I didn’t know before so I could go on and expect good things I never expected before. It was about time the “bad luck” stopped! Not long after, my confessions and affirmations started to change. Not that they were terrible before, but they just added more heft. They were more confident in the promises of my Heavenly Father.
As I consumed this new knowledge, I started to be more aware of these truths – I really am blessed and highly favoured! I am always in the right place at the right time with the right people! Everything works together for my good! My mind began to change! When I took the bus, I took it no longer as someone who didn’t have a car and was suffering long travel hours but someone who was blessed and highly favoured. And what happened? On cold mornings, security guards I never knew gave me warm shelters to wait for my bus. Strangers paid my bus fare!
When I went to a job I didn’t enjoy, I went no longer as someone that was unlucky, suffering, but as someone who was blessed and highly favoured. And what happened? The amazing people I met at the job had invited me to places that lead to opportunities I do enjoy! When I lived in a house I didn’t like and had to find a new one, I didn’t do so as someone that was suffering, homeless, unlucky! No, I did so as someone who was blessed and highly favoured. And what happened? I found one I really liked in a building with a “big sister figure” from back home (I just found this out 3 days ago) let’s just say, I had poundo and ẹ̀fọ́ rírò after a long time 😅.
I could go on with more detail! But my point is, thanks to Dr. Jerry Savelle’s teachings, I have experienced favour like never before.
And on my other point… as soon as I started to think differently, I started to be different and then I started to see different things happen in my life! This is not to say, I have “arrived”. Like I said before, it is a continous process. After receiving unconditional love, you might struggle with trying to qualify for it. After receiving divine favour, you might struggle with imposter syndrome or learning to be prudent. After building a great marriage, raising amazing kids, getting that degree and running that business, you might struggle with the fear of death, being an empty nester, using that degree, scaling that business to another level.
But even at those points, the principle remains the same, keep renewing your mind! Keep believing! Keep on keeping on! Or like Dr. Savelle would say (not unlike Paul): “After you’ve done all you can to stand, stand some more”.
P.S: The title for this one won’t be easy 😅 And, oh, if you have a problem with prosperity. Let’s have a chat, something is wrong, why do you like suffering? 👀
