Jesse Duplantis is an evangelist, speaker, and author. HIs best-selling books include Wanting a God You Can Talk To, Breaking the Power of Natural Law and The Everyday Visionary. His popular television program, Jesse Duplantis Ministries, airs weekly on TBN. [Video below]
- FINANCIAL SUCCESS
by Creflo Dollar |
Financial success is something widely sought after. The world perpetuates the mindset that having money will make us happy. This is a misconception many people have learned the hard way, after gaining what they thought was the secret to happiness, and then losing it all. True success goes much deeper than just finances. It’s elusive when we look at it through the lens of worldly standards; however, God’s definition of prosperity and success gives us a broader perspective.
Most people misunderstand God’s message to us regarding our finances and how they fit into the big picture. It’s okay to have money, but it shouldn’t have priority over everything else in life. Hoarding it greedily reveals the same mindset that the rich young ruler had when he met Jesus. The man received an invitation to develop a relationship with Jesus, but walked away from it because he trusted in his money more than in God. “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:22).
There’s more to life than money. Although the world places great significance on it, Jesus considered it as the least important thing in the kingdom of God. “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). The things that money can’t buy include joy, peace of mind, and happy, loving relationships with friends and family. These are true treasures that come from heaven.
The world believes that to follow Christ and to have a relationship with Him, means being poor. This is wrong-thinking, because it contradicts the Word of God. He loves us and wants to bless us in every area, including our finances. When we use His Word as our guide in everything we do, we put ourselves in a position to receive His promises of prosperity and success. “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8, NLT).
We’ve all heard of people who strived mightily to create wealth through their own efforts, only to suffer money-related misfortunes and heartaches. Perhaps we’ve seen television reports of millionaires who appeared to “strike it rich” but ruined their lives through financial mismanagement. Trusting in God for our financial security doesn’t mean abandoning all common sense, but it does give us a level of protection the world can’t match. “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).
The nuts and bolts of wise money management include living within our means, creating a budget and sticking to it, saving, and being patient. Patience means being content to watch financial wealth grow slowly. “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time” (Proverbs 13:11, NLT). God will bless us if we rely more on what He says about money than what the world tells us.
God knows what we need, and He’ll take care of everything—if we let Him. What some fail to realize is that He has given us the freedom of choice whether or not to believe Him regarding our finances. “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NLT). God is the source of all financial blessings. Having faith in Him brings real results.
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