Seeking Jesus First - May 24, 2023
Did you know that The Bible teaches us the proper attitude toward wealth and how to get wealth? However, The Scripture warns against getting wealth through wickedness, or motivating yourself by the desire to be wealthy.
A person who is focused on wealth will not find contentment, peace or true joy. Even a wealthy person who is motivated by wealth will worry about what he has or will try to get more instead of being content with life. When wealth is the motivation, a person will either lose sight of people or he will lose sight of morality.
The Scripture invites us to see wealth as the benefit of good relationships and good morality. This is how wisdom builds a house. Wisdom begins with trusting obedience to God. Wisdom is the result of faith in a loving and generous Heavenly Father. Wisdom comes to us through relationship with Our Father in Heaven Who is Holy. Therefore, naturally, wisdom builds wealth through loving relationships and good morality.
There is no question about the desire of God to bless His children. God has lavished His grace upon us. His favor and love are always upon us. The will of God for us is beneficial, complete and pleasing (good, perfect and acceptable). God takes pleasure in our prosperity. He has already given His blessing upon us through Christ Jesus and His Word. We are blessed, and whatever we put our hand to do has the blessing of God on it.
God, The Good Father, wants us to prosper and be in health even as our souls prosper. We could act like a prodigal son and waste the blessing on fleshly desires. We could sit at home wasting the blessing by being bitter and not enjoying what Our Father provided like the elder brother in that parable. Our Father loves us and will bring correction to us with His word.
I believe that God desires for us to grow up in faith, hope and love more than He desires for us to be wealthy. This is why it takes faith to activate God’s word and it takes love to activate faith and it takes hope to persevere between seedtime and harvest.
“By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase. Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly. A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health. Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:10–22, NKJV)
Wealth comes to someone who faithfully works his inheritance with the desire to give it to his descendants better than he received it. Wealth is generational.
Faithful, hopeful, loving fathers and mothers produce faithful, hopeful, loving sons and daughters. Faithful, hopeful, loving sons and daughters become faithful, hopeful, loving fathers and mothers. Faithful, hopeful, loving fathers and mothers to become faithful, hopeful, loving grandparents.
The inheritance multiplies as it is passed down from one generation to the next. This is true wealth and it produces healthy, wealthy descendants.
The questions become: Why do we want to be wealthy? What will we do with wealth? What will wealth do to our work ethic? What will wealth do to our important relationships? Will we still love without manipulation? Will wealth benefit more than our own flesh? Are we a giver? Will we still be a giver at the same level or will we increase the level of our giving? (Level equals percentage). Will we invest our wealth in future generations?
Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and in all your getting, get understanding.