REINVENTING THE PERSONAL FINANCIAL WHEEL

SESSION - 2

CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT MONEY (Part II)

TRUTH: God moves only into areas of our lives that we vacate for him and allow him into; and that includes how we handle our finances

The Apostle Paul had a problem. Rom. 7:14 -23; his bewilderment. v 24; the solution . v 25.

Jesus said that all our actions came out of our hearts. Matt 15: 11, 17-20

NO ONE can live contrary to what he/she really believes. We may all do things that are out of character at times, but none can truly persist in what is not part of our belief structure. So therefore, in order to change our actions we need to change what we believe.

We must bring our thinking into conformity with what Bible says
. God’s ways are not like ours. Rom. 1: 28 & 29, Isaiah 55: 8 & 9.

Consider your mind as a garden/ field. (Proverbs 24: 30 - 34.). Whether or not you tend it, YOUR GARDEN WILL PRODUCE!
If tended properly it will bring forth things that will be a blessing, fruits, flowers, food. If left unattended it will produce thorns and thistles. It is not possible to prevent the soil of our minds from bearing something.

Our perspective on money, and the ability to use it wisely and cause it to ‘grow’ is not due to chance; but it is the result of careful and wise planning that springs forth from a life ordered by common sense and Christian discipline. Not because one tithes, as is so glibly offered today as the solution to many financial woes. Psalm 1: 1-3 – Note how the man described in these few verses becomes “blessed” – he thinks upon the truth of the scriptures as they apply to his life. A similar thought is found in Psalm 119:9, when the psalmist asks:

"By what means can a young person cleanse their lifestyle? ..
By taking heed of what "God says in relation to their living.
The principles of scripture also apply to how we handle money.

TRUTH: Common sense was NOT an invention of the devil – God made it.

There is no biblical basis to believe that it is God’s intention to make everybody a `millionaire’ Common sense and individual preferences indicate that such an idea is neither practical nor desirable.
Jesus’ story of the stewards who were responsible for different amounts of their master's wealth in the Gospels (Matt 25 and Luke 19), clearly indicate that all possessed different amounts, presumably based on their place of service and need in their master’s kingdom.

Some preachers will have us erroneously believe that financial prosperity is synonymous with Spirituality.
To Christians influenced by our materialistic society where ‘things’ are considered the standard of success, such teaching has great appeal because we all want to be considered prosperous; we all want to have all the “good things” that money can buy; and the appeal of a life of comfort is not to be denied.
This is nothing new; this was also the case in bible times.
The apostle Paul was well aware of the seduction of such teaching and he admonished his son Timothy as follows -
1 Tim: 6 3-5

3. - If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4. - He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5. - Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

In 2 Tim 2:3,4 we clearly see why the so called “prosperity gospel” has such a vast following today:

3. - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4. - And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

There is nothing wrong or sinful about wealth or poverty per se, however we must be aware that in our greed and lust for riches, we open ourselves to be seduced by false doctrine in order to gratify our craving for the “good life”.

God has both rich and poor people among his children –
In the Epistle of James chapter 2, the apostle speaks of the poor who were God’s people and the rich who were not.
In 1 Tim. 6:17, Paul the apostle also speaks of the rich who were God’s people.

There is no solid scriptural basis for believing that God will make everybody rich in this life! While such teaching is appealing, it has no foundation in scripture.

However, God has promised to be our all sufficiency at all times. 2 Cor 9:8. says "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Our heavenly Father´s loving admonition and immutable promise is found in the book of Hebrews, chapter 13, verses 5 - 6:
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
There are practical things we are required to do in order to maximize/ use wisely what God is already pouring into our lives.

God has implemented the natural law of seed, time, and harvest.
   Seed, - implies doing the right action consistently.
   Time - the natural passage of time
   Harvest - the time when the right actions that we have sown, bears fruit more than what was sown.

This is NOT referring to tithing. This refers to a lifestyle of living in the confidence that God is watching over us and that we must follow the right and wholesome actions as we live out the Christian life.

The law of sowing and reaping is immutable in all spheres of life.
In addition the Bible teaches that God desires to take care of His children not because He “owes” them but because He loves them.
God does not bless his children because He owes us. He blesses because He delights in doing so.

The key is where is our TRUST. Luke 12: 15-21; Mark 12:25; 1Tim 6:17

Abundance of money does not CHANGE us - it merely gives the opportunity to express more readily what is really already IN our hearts. Jesus stated the principle that if one is faithful in little, one will also be faithful in much.

Realize that money will not (cannot) change us - Rom. 8:36-37. Faithful in little means faithful in much.