It's All About Attitude!
|
The first commandment Jesus gave us, for example, is to "love one another" (John 5:12) To the casual observer that commandment may seem to have nothing to do with money, yet to have true prosperity, love must be the guiding force of your life. You must be quick to apply scriptural principles for living, like these found in 1 Peter 3:8-9 “ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing”.It is important in these last days to have a healthy relationship and perspective of God and His Word. This will produce in you an understanding of God’s plan to prosper YOU! As you study the Word about prosperity and start applying those scriptures to your life, you will see the financial aspect of your life start to rise. But I can tell you today, from the Word of God and from personal experience: It is definitely God's will for all of His children to prosper! That's why He inspired the Apostle John to write, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 2). Notice there, however, that John didn't just say, "I want you to prosper." He said, "I want you to prosper as your soul prospers." He tied financial prosperity to the prosperity of our mind, will and emotions. God's plan is for us to grow financially as we grow spiritually (3John 2). He knows it is dangerous to put great wealth into the hands of someone who is too spiritually immature to handle it. You can see dramatic evidence of that fact in the lives of people who have acquired financial riches through this world's system, apart from God. In most cases, such riches just help people to die younger and in more misery than they would have if they'd been poorer. Poverty has little to do with how much money you have, it has everything to do with who or what has your love. If God has your love (agape love) money can in no way ruin you. It will only be a tool to bless your giving. As you give like Him moved with His compassion you will bless you church, ministries, the poor, etc. Then it opens up God to flood you with more. But, you must renew your mind as this scripture says, “ Beloved, I pray that you may prosper inall things and be in health, just as your soul (mind) prospers”. (3 John 2) The word “ prosper” in this verse gives the idea of being an action that continues. So you could say 3 John 2 like this: Beloved, I pray that you may continually prosper in all things and continually be in good health AS your mind continually prospers. This scripture is saying that as you get your mind saturated with the understanding of God’s Word, you will financially prosper in every area and be in good health. How do I know that? Jesus said in Matt. 13: 12 "For whoever has (understanding), to him more (understanding) will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him”. The subject here is hearing and understanding, or you could say hearing what the Spirit says until it illuminates into your heart. Jesus took onto Himself your poverty so you (if you follow His principles) might become rich. When you understand who you are in Christ Jesus and what He paid for, you will then get a better look at His picture of prosperity. Many believe that poverty is next to Godliness or humility. Scripture shows in Deut. 28:15-20 that poverty is a curse of disobedience. . In 2 Cor. 8: 9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich”. This is God’s will and Jesus has already paid for it. The very basis of true Biblical prosperity is a continual lifestyle built on Loving God and the Word of God. It is doing whatever God tells you to do, thinking whatever He tells you to think, and saying whatever He tells you to say. Godly prosperity is the result of putting God's Word, all of it, not just the parts about financial prosperity, first place in your life. It comes when you apply His principles on a continual basis, not just because you want money, but because Jesus is your Lord and you want to follow Him. It comes when you start obeying the instructions Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:32-33 God’s not afraid that money will ruin you, but He is concerned that you will use it to try to fill the love void where He belongs. When we walk in His love and love Him with all our heart issues like stewardship. giving, and etc. will become by-products of our loving relationship with Him and His word.
|