Once, I was asked to give one financial principle that was more important than all others in helping people prosper. I believe many would have expected to hear me say:
*Give all you can because you cannot out give God because He will then give more back to you than you could ever give Him or
*Tithe to the church treasury and financial problems will forever cease or
*Another seemingly brilliant statement.
Frankly, I could not share one biblical principle that’s more important than all others because all biblical principles hold equal importance in helping you prosper. They are all designed to help complete the work God designed you to do. Each of them is founded in God’s desire that you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and thereby love your neighbor as yourself.
Our failure to regularly teach the full array of biblical financial principles that emanate from this love has lead to a drastic downward spiral in giving where far less than 20% of all Christians pay tithes and where total giving to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach His body has dipped to approximately 2% of household income. This has also lead to massive church-hopping because people are too focused on what they think they’re not getting versus understanding that they are planted in local churches in order to serve and help meet the needs of others. Ask not what your church can do for you; ask what you can do for your church.
This is pretty sad commentary when the bible shows that a person who really loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength gives an abundant, proportionate amount of his income to fund ministry work in order that everyone has an opportunity to hear the gospel, accept Jesus Christ as Savior, have needs met, and prosper to carry out his/her mission in this life.
Preachers should teach biblical financial principles to their congregations often, letting them know that the acceptance of poverty is a curse in the same manner as trust in wealth is a curse. Your failure to obey biblical guidance in order to eliminate from your life a poverty mentality or a trust in accumulated wealth mentality will only help decrease tithing, offering, and the spread of the gospel. Also, it will result in you lacking or misappropriating resources God intended you to pull from Heaven to fulfill the work He called you to do. In addition, it will result in you and your family living beneath the privilege He intends for you.
Don’t mistake a poverty mentality with making a small income or not accumulating great assets and don’t mistake a trust in wealth mentality with being rich or wealthy, having a successful business, or accumulating more than a small amount of assets. Rather, understand both of these mindsets to have a foundation in improperly managing the gifts, talents, and abilities God has given you, in violation of biblical instruction and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Wouldn’t it be great to see 100% of each congregation faithfully tithing and offering each week and people’s lives getting better; spiritually and financially? We have an opportunity to bring this to pass if we love God enough to preach, teach, and example biblical financial principles in our lives no matter our current station. Surely, as others see the fruitfulness of your life, more and more of them will want to hear your testimony. As a result, many will begin to understand Jesus Christ eternally has their best interest at heart and they will seek to intimately know Him.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalms 1:1-3, Proverbs 3:5-10, Matthew 22:36-40, 2Timothy 3:16-17
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
You can find books authored by Randy and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com.
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