Finances & The Believer

Are you being challenged in your finances? Do you believe your finances are destine to look, do, and accomplish more than what they are currently producing for you? For years as Christians we have been taught not to talk about money from the pulpit b/c the presumption is every pastor is trying to take your money. Yet instill we are needing answers to questions regarding the one thing all of us need to maintain our lives, MONEY! (King Solomon figured that out over 4000 years ago. Ecclesiastes 10:19)

I use to have the mindset that money had no real purpose other than to make me happy and to fulfill my needs. My mindset was with money I can drive the car I want, wear what I want, live where I want, and go where ever I wanted to go at any time; but what I didn't realize is the responsibility of "knowledge" concerning money.

It really bothers me when I hear people say "money shouldn't be a subject in the church and a Pastor shouldn't always preach about money". When the majority of congregations are made up of people who have financial struggles or issues that overshadow their very existence. From credit card debt to having no money at all.

One day my husband posed a question to the congregation. He said "If you have $500 in discretionary(meaning-subject to one's freedom of choice) funds please stand up" and some where able to stand; then he said "$300.00" some more stood; then he said "$200" one more person stood; and he continued to do this until he got to the amount of $25.00. (I can hear ppl now reading this post saying "If I was there I wouldn't have stood up if I had it or not b/c that's none of his business")

Well, in fact if your shepherd doesn't care about your financial well-being I have to question if that is a good-shepherd at all, b/c it is our job as shepherds to care about the total man. Not for our own gain but b/c we as shepherds understand there is no freedom in serving God in STRESS!

It saddens my heart to know ppl constantly struggle due to a "TREE" (money). I began to look at money differently when one day as I was meditating and God revealed to me "Money is nothing but a tree". He said to me "look around you" and I did and then he ask me a rhetorical question "Is There A Lack Of Trees"?  I said "No" and then he said "then there is no lack of money in the earth".  He went on to say "Val everybody's pocket-book is not in recession". I guess he told me.

He said "My People Perish For A Lack Of KNOWLEDGE & Self-Control"!

So, equip yourself, constrain yourself, and watch yourself began to live a life w/out LACK!

Respectfully, A Blessed Kingdom Daughter

P.S. BTW "lack" is from the pits of hell...