(By Derrick)
Hello readers!
We are excited to do this short series over the next few weeks on the topic ‘Seeking the Heart of God For Your Finances‘.
The purpose of this series is not to figure out how we can grow rich, but more importantly it’s about understanding and seeking the heart of God, which effortlessly leads us into places of prosperity and wealth. We will be sharing here not as financial experts, but as students of His Word who have been tasting the goodness of God in this area.
If you have any questions on this topic, please feel free to mail it to us at: [email protected]
What is God’s heart when it comes to money? Before we get into the core of the topic, it’s crucial that we set our foundations right:
Know the promise…and the heart
God is pretty clear about His kingdom agenda concerning your finances. His promise is to prosper you, He says in Jeremiah 29:11. (Prosper to me means not only having the blessings in your life, but to be able to enjoy it and also cause it to overflow and bless others’ lives).
God does not view being rich or having money as being sinful. In fact in the Bible we read how men and women who walked with God were prosperous including Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Esther, David, Solomon and others.
There is nothing wrong with saving money, setting financial goals, or being wealthy. But many times we only look at the promise, and we forget the heart behind it. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “Then you will call on me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your HEART.”
Here is the key: Seek Him and His heart and everything else, including prosperity will be a default addition to your life! (Matthew 6:33).
God is interested in your heart
God wants to make sure that your heart is in the right place (on His kingdom) so that money can serve you and not vice-versa.
The heart influences every aspect of life and gives eternal value to all your actions. That’s why the Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. For where your treasure is there will your heart also be. (Matthew 6:21).
In fact, His only command is that we love Him with all our heart because He knows if anything (including money) replaces that position it will bring destruction.
You are already rich!
The Bible says Jesus became poor for our sake that we might gain His riches (2 Corinthians 8:9). So this series is all about discovering ‘how rich you already are’, and not ‘how to become rich’. In fact, God doesn’t invent wealth or drop it in your nest for you, rather He gives you the power, wisdom and ability to get it (Deuteronomy 8:18). In other words, God wants you to go through the process of trusting, listening and leaning on Him as He becomes your provider for your finances, and you get to give Him all the glory!
Wisdom of God is the key to your finances
Proverbs 3:19 says, By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place.
You may have all the knowledge of the world, but you need the wisdom of God for the final choice of decision, and this comes not by books or education, but only by a relationship with Him. This is where many of the believers are lacking!
Get the Kingdom to manifest
We need to serve God and use money and not vice versa. Money was created by man to serve him, while God created “rest” and the “sabbath” for man. To rest in His promises is to fight the good fight of faith and not in its colloquial meaning i.e. “laziness”.
Ecclesiastes 2:26 says, To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.
This means gathering and storing wealth shouldn’t be our focus, but when we store our treasures in heaven, earthly wealth follows. It’s like every time you get the kingdom of God to manifest in you life, there will be a “Manna-Fest”. You didn’t do anything to get the blessing, you didn’t deserve it, but you got it anyway, just by being in Christ.
God wants us to be wise and diligent stewards
God is looking at how you are stewarding the money you already have. If we are not faithful in little, God will not entrust us with much, because He knows that if the little we have has gotten our hearts then the ‘much’ can corrupt us. (Luke 16:10-12)
He wants His children to be wise and diligent stewards of money. The word ‘Diligent’ means doing things with such accountability – in this case- as if God is there! Diligence will come only when you love what you do and you do what you love. So, loving God is the beginning of being diligent. Jesus only command was to love, so that love flows out into whatever you put your hand to and that you excel.
Stay tuned for the next post in the series…