It is not about what is in your hand but in your heart. Many feel offended when money and prosperity is spoken about in the church. Some even think that it should not be spoken about in the church. When we look at church history in various parts of the world, we see that the church was very wealthy and had a large amount of property.
When we talk about prosperity in the church, it is about giving and being blessed. God calls us to be a cheerful giver in everything that we do. It is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). However, many of us think that when we give, we lose but this is not the case. To give is not to lose. We think that when we receive, we are blessed but it is the person who gives that is more blessed. At many business conferences, one is encouraged to invest in other ventures. This is also seen in network marketing. You have to give, in order to receive. We have to walk by faith and believe that God will bless and provide for us when we give. If we live by faith and giving, we will see miracles.
Money is made for spending but also for investments. Many of us have a poverty mindset that even if we gain a lot of money, we end up in poverty along the line. We need to change our mindset as it relates to wealth and prosperity. Having a poverty mindset impairs the life of a Christian. It is an enslaved mindset. We can get out of a poverty mindset. It will not take a day but it will happen once we allow God to change it.
Signs of a Poverty Mindset
– You are envious of people who have more than you have. One should not be envious of another but rather we should look up to them. If we want to change our mindset, we need to change the company that we are with. Many of us buy items that we really don’t them. We buy and end up in debt. We must use our money wisely. Everything that we own, belongs to God. Our money belongs to God.
-You believe that when you get extra money, something will happen. We speak negative words over our lives. When we speak, we speak it into being.
-People with a poverty mindset are selfish. You keep everything for yourself and don’t give.
-People with a poverty mindset spend money as soon as they get it.
-They spend their money unwisely.
-They blame others for their situation. They blame the government, church and any entity for their problems.
-They think that people owe them something. They believe that they deserve something.
Our minds need to be changed. A mindset of prosperity starts with the question, where do I want to be in the future. God desires for us to be prosperous. However, prosperity does not just drop from the sky. God rarely just drops prosperity in our life. Instead, He gives vision and wisdom (Deuteronomy 8:18). We need to study and meditate on the Word for wisdom and guidance. There is so much wisdom in the Word for money and investments. When we sow, we will reap. However, this does not mean that we will reap immediately. Just look at the way we plant fruits and vegetables and how they are reaped after a period of time.
Signs of a Prosperity Mindset
-They create an environment for success. We have to invest time with those who have already walked the path. Find a mentor who has already succeeded. When we change our company, some people will be offended.
-They act as if they are already where they want to go. They begin to function as though they already have the money. This is faith. They act as though they already have everything even though they don’t.
Refuse to be selfish and greedy. Don’t be cheap. Don’t be materialistic. Our top priority must be God and not materials. God wants us to come to a place where our prayers are not filled with requests for provision for bills and clothes. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto us. Money is not evil but the love of money is.
One of the ways to have a prosperous life is to give. Consistent giving leads us into prosperity. Giving is preparation for prosperity. When we sow, we believe by faith that blessings will come back. You can’t reap if you don’t sow. No farmer sows and doesn’t expect to reap. We don’t give out of greed. We don’t say “since I give, I have to get something out of it”. We give out of faith and love. In order to get a harvest, we have to put something in the earth. We can’t have a harvest, if we haven’t planted a seed or tilled the ground.
Giving should not be a one off thing. It should be continual and done with a good attitude (2 Corinthians 9:1-11). God will increase our seed and enlarge our harvest. Generosity is more about attitude than what we have to give. It is about the heart. It is about giving without a grudge.
