Faith for financial increase 3

FAITH FOR FINANCIAL INCREASES - Part 13 (A Must Read)

Wealth is a state of sufficiency in all things and abundance for every good works. Wealth isn't just measured by how much money you have, but also how much lives you've touched.  

To enjoy financial prosperity, you must engage the principle in 2 Cor 9:8. It says "God is able to make all grace abound towards you, such that you'd have sufficiency in all things, and abundance for every good works". In simpler terms, "God is ready to release blessings to you, but after you've taken what is sufficient for you, use the rest for good works". That also means that if you don't have a plan to give, then you can't receive as much as you expect. God doesn't expect us to keep more than we need. Prov 11:24 says "There is he that scattereth and yet increases, but there is he that withholds more than is sufficient for him, and he still tends to poverty".

This may be against everything you've learnt about financial intelligence, but let God be true and all men liars. Saving money is good; but just as you think of what to save monthly, also think of what to give monthly. The only way to increase in this kingdom is to be a selfless distributor of God's blessing. Those who take more than is sufficient for them are simply on their way to poverty. But those who take what is sufficient and channel some to those who need them experiences increase. 

Hope you don't get me wrong. When I say "Take what you need", this should also cover your need to save and invest. My emphasy is to to help you understand that your needs also extends to doing good works for the kingdom. God isn't against you taking what is sufficient to meet all your needs, but there has to be a balance. Just like the rich fool, there are many Christians who lavish the resources they should be using to abound unto good works. 

This practice is the same for both great and small. Just because you have so little doesn't mean you're exempted from abounding unto good works. Don't let the devil deceive you into believing that you have to manage what you have for yourself, the widow of Zarephat still had to share her last meal with the prophet. And mysteriously, what was supposed to be her last meal fed her and her family all through the period of famine. 

I understand that sometimes additional responsibilities may make you reconsider your financial commitments, but you must be aware that it's a trap. Someone once shared a burden with me, how that before he got married, he paid the bills of every member of his family, including his mother and elder brothers, but now that he's married, he feels so much pressure in his finances. He wanted me to counsel him on what to do. I was happy that he sought counsel, because pressures like that does not guarantee light at the end of the tunnel, especially if your family are the only beneficiaries of your finances.

God told Abraham that all the families of the earth shall be blessed by his seed. In literal terms, that "seed" represents Abraham's offsprings or descendants. But that's not all, the word "seed" also translates to the measure at which you're expected to bless all the families of the earth with. We sow seeds, not harvest. 

The reason why you feel financial pressure now is because you're not sowing seeds, you're giving out harvest, and that's totally God's job. And God will fight you for doing His job. It's also why you probably don't get returns despite all the financial support you give to your family. 

Every seed you sow into a person's life should be accompanied with a message, that God will perfect all that concerns the person, not you. You'd be putting yourself into a lot of pressure trying to perfect only what God can perfect. 

At the early stage of your financial success, or let me say as an average salary earner, the following are financial commitments you should consider necessary:

1. TITHE - This is the 10 percent of your profit that is given to God, primarily to strengthen His house on the earth. Tithing isn't exactly a New Testament principle, because it only required ten percent of your incomes. In the New Testament, it is hundred percent that is required. But because God loves consistency and cheerfulness, our fathers of faith taught it wise to maintain the system of tithing. For lack of a better name, we still call it tithe, except that it is no longer restricted to ten percent. 

2. PARENTS - The bible tells us that it will always be well with those who honour their parents. So just as you give a certain percentage to God from all your profits, cut out a certain percentage for your parents too. But ensure that whatever you decide doesn't put pressure on you to deliver either monthly or however you plan to present your seed to them. 

3. THE POOR - Any money you give to the poor gets back to you in multiple folds. So creating a budget for the poor from your monthly income is wisdom. It will help you tackle the lack that may come from your already insufficient salary. 

Those are the 3 levels of giving you should practice as an average earner. But asides those 3 channels of given, I've expanded my giving to other categories of people. I give to my mentors, my pastors, I give to people who are far wealthier than me, I give to my wife's parents, I give to my landlord, and many more are still joining the list. Please note that I increase my distribution as God increases me, and there's no pressure in doing this at all. So if you sense pressure, then you have to reduce it. 

Don't fall for the trick of emergencies. When a person needs hundred dollars, let them explain the reason, and if it's not urgent and compulsory, give them twenty or even ten dollars and don't forget to tell them that God will perfect all that concerns them. In fact, if it's not in your budget, tell them it's not in your budget, nobody will kill you. Designing a distribution plan will help you deal with financial pressures. It's only a person that doesn't have a financial distribution plan that falls for the pressures of emergency from people. Assisting your elder siblings isn't a bad thing, but again, if it puts pressure on you, then you might have to stop until you're more comfortable. Anything you give under pressure doesn't guarantee returns.

I hope this has brought enlightenment to someone.

Remain ever blessed, in Jesus precious name!