Category Archives: The Prosperous Life

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Need vs Greed Revisited!

 

 

I have heard the expression in the past “God will supply your need but not your greed”.

This sounds great on the surface, but really it is confusing because need is closer to an amount, but greed is really an attitude. By putting need and greed together in the same sentence, it makes greed appear to be an amount, but it is not an amount.  It is an attitude.

By putting need and greed together, it seems to say that anything above “need” falls into the category of “greed.” So that if you have more than what someone sets as the bare necessity of “need,” you are a greedy person. Remember, greed is actually an attitude of the mind.  It is a heart issue not an amount.

So, let’s separate the two biblically.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

1Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

The Working Translation, “A Journey through the Acts and Epistles,” translates the phrase “greedy of filthy lucre” as “avaricious,” which means having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain – Oxford Languages.  God refers to greed as an attitude.

Therefore, need is an amount, so to speak, whereas greed is an attitude of the heart. You might say it is an attitude of covetousness.

God makes no promise to supply greed – your over-desire for wealth or material gain.  That would make sense.

But because we see greed as an amount above and beyond need, then the questions begin. Notice, all of the following questions have to do with amounts and not attitudes.

Do you really need a three-bedroom home; could you get by with a two-bedroom home?     In other words, is a three-bedroom home greed or a need?

Perhaps you don’t need a house at all, but could you suffice with an apartment? Maybe owning a home is greedy?

So, do you need a three-bedroom apartment? Could you not put the kids in bunk beds and get along with two bedrooms?

Could you choose an apartment in a cheaper part of town to live in? Do you really “need” that? On and on and on.

Do you really need two cars? ….  You could both take the bus.

Do you really need that many clothes if you washed more often?

If you compare yourself with Christians that live in third world countries, then you could think about this:  Some live in mud huts, and you can’t do with an apartment and think you need a house—with how many bedrooms?  And look at the size of that kitchen!!

Maybe the homeless who live on the side of the road in a tent are the ones without greed and are truly walking with God!

There is no end to this kind of questioning. You could literally pare yourself down to living in a cave with only a loincloth.

This is because we associate greed with an amount rather than an attitude of an over-desire for money – wealth – affluence, etc.

My wife was once riding with a group of Christians through an expensive neighborhood.  The houses were probably in the range of $7-800,000 twenty years ago.  Someone in the car said: “That has to be nothing but pure greed to live in a house like that.” Really?

If it is greed to own an $800,000 home, is $500,000 OK? $200,000?  Where is the line drawn? Who gets to decide whether a certain purchase or item is greed or need? There is no answer to this line of thinking.

“Greedy” people are generally ones that have more than you do because people generally associate greed with an amount not an attitude. God has not called us to decide whether our brothers and sisters are greedy.  We could just be thankful that God has blessed them so much.  In the case of the $800.000 house, many people earned a good living building the house and more are provided with some income in taking care of it. Be thankful!

It is possible that those that have more are better stewards of what God gave them!!

Consider this: once you have done what God says to do according to His Word as regards to giving and saving, then the rest is yours to do with as you please.  You have done your duty, so to speak.  Then if you want to build an $800,000 house, go for it.  Remember, Solomon in the Old Testament?  God gave him great wisdom and riches. The Bible says that in Solomon’s days, gold and silver were as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem.

Apparently, he did not save ALL the riches God gave him. He was not like the king sitting in his counting-house counting all his money! He built many great works and paid the craftsmen and prospered them in the process as well.  So, by believing the promises of God and prospering, we could help to prosper those around us.

Let’s look at some of the great men in the Old Testament who walked with God, but first this:

Romans 15:4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. (ERV)

God, our Father, had these records written down to teach us about Himself.  What He is like. What He is willing to do to bless the lives of those who love Him with all their heart. In the case of the men we are about to read about, pay attention to the idea of where their wealth came from.

Job 1:3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

Job 42:15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

You must ask yourself a question.  Did he “need” six thousand camels? You can only ride one at a time.  God gave them to him. How does “need” vs “greed” fit with this record?  Greed is not an amount.  It is an attitude.  When you read the record of Job and these other men that follow here, you will see that they loved God with all their heart.  God came first and because of their love for Him, God blessed their lives.

If you believe that greed is an amount, instead of opening your hands to receive the blessing of God which you may consider greed, you really have your hands closed and are not able to receive.  You have closed off the blessings of God by your misunderstanding – by your believing.

Genesis 24:34-35 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

Does anyone really “need” a personal army of 318 trained servants?  If you could count their wives and children and servants not born in his house that would be a great number of people that Abraham was responsible to feed and care for each day.  Perhaps a thousand?  Did he “need” that many people?

Could he not walk with God living in a cave with a loincloth, just him and his wife and kids?  Apparently, because he loved God, God wanted to bless his life and He did. Abraham received the blessings of God like the dry earth is open to receive the rain.

Genesis 26:12-14 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Here Isaac was so blessed a nation envied him! These men were servants and not sons born again of God’s spirit.  We are sons and daughters of this great God that blessed Isaac.  Is God looking to bless your life? As one of my friends said, “We only allow in our lives what we think we are worthy of.  Accept His abundance.” Open your hands!

2 Chronicles 32:27-29 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels; Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. Moreover, he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.

Was all this abundance greed on Hezekiah’s part or was this all the blessing of God?  God said of Hezekiah that Hezekiah trusted God greatly.

2 Chronicles 17:1-5 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.

God is showing us what he is willing and able to do for those of His children who trust Him and keep Him first in their lives.  He is willing to open the windows of heaven and bless us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think.

There is another great record in the book of 2 Kings that we ought to consider.  This is about a woman with no name in contrast with the great men we have been reading about.

2Kings 4:1-7 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

What was the woman’s real need?  To be able to pay the creditor so her sons were not sold into slavery.  Did God provide her with just enough or did he do exceedingly abundantly above all she thought to ask for?  God is good all the time and will bless those that love him with all their heart. Selah

What do you really need?

Enough substance to provide:

Your family’s daily needs
A retirement for you and your wife
To be able to give to the church and to him that needeth and to every good work
Replacement funds for things that wear out like clothes, cars, etc.
An emergency fund for slow economic times or times of disaster
An inheritance for your children’s children.  Remember Job and the inheritance he gave his children?

You might want to sit down with a calculator and some numbers and see how much that would be on a weekly basis that you would need to provide for all those things.

That is a lot more than a loincloth in a cave! Sometimes, what you need is a better-paying job. Some may need to send their children to a private school.  As I heard someone say, “You need to get your needs up!” Your needs should be on par with the promises of God’s Word. You may need to get some more education so you can bring more value to the marketplace. We are paid for the value we bring to the market.

Greed is an attitude, not an amount.

Greed doesn’t have anything to do with wealth. A person could be as destitute as Job but have their heart in the wrong place by having an over desire for wealth. But as the above men did, you could love God with all your heart, keep God first in your life, and be blessed with great wealth that comes from God.

God will supply our needs, and His Word says He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

If your attitude is an over desire for money or material things, greed, you will never be satisfied with what you have.

If your attitude is to love God first and foremost while being content with what you have and striving to steward it properly and see it grow, you will see wonderful things.

Learning is an exciting adventure and is part of The Prosperous Life.

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Money – Heirs Together!


I have heard many times over the years: “I don’t want to do that, but my husband is my head, so I have no choice if I want to obey God.”

Disagreements over and the management of finances are one of the major causes of divorce in the United States.  This could be eliminated if we put our decisions about money on some sound Biblical ground.

It is true that the husband is the head of the wife as stated here in Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:23-29 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.

Here it states that the husband is the head of the wife.

What if the husband decides to do the Bonnie and Clyde thing and rob banks? Or do drugs? Or decides to no longer go to church?  Does the wife have a right to put her foot down and say no!  YES!

It does state that the husband is the head of the wife. It also says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.

How is it that you love your wife?  Well, one way is to honor her, as God states in 1 Peter.

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Is it honoring your wife to cut her out of financial decisions?  No! Is it honoring the wife to not listen to her regarding money? No!  Being together on the same plan and the same page alleviates many problems.  Plan out your finances and work on them until you are together.  Together, Biblically is a great place to start, i.e., tithing and saving.

Many decisions in marriage should be 50/50, not 51/49. Once you are married, the money is OURS, not mine and yours.  We are working toward becoming that “one flesh” God talks about.

Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain (two) shall be one flesh?

It does not matter who gets the paycheck, it is our money. It is just as much her money as it is the husbands. Work till you are on the same page.

It might help to get some good books on money and read them together.  When we drive out of town, my wife reads out loud, and I interrupt her, and we talk about different points.  Getting on the same page is the goal as to what to do with all the money as it comes in.  Dave Ramsey has some good books to read.  We also enjoyed The Millionaire Next Door. I might also recommend the book I wrote Poverty vs Wealth.

On the topic of the man as the head of the wife, Jesus had some interesting things to say in Luke.

Luke 22:24-27 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Christ sets a great example for husbands.  Love her, honor her, serve her.

About the man being the head of the wife, Galatians adds an interesting perspective.

Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In the body of Christ, God sees neither male nor female. Colossians states that we ALL, both male and female, have Christ, the gift of holy spirit, in us. So that God can speak to the wife just as easily as he does to the husband. So, it is a sign of maturity in the Word to listen when she speaks.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

This subject of finances and how to work together, how to recognize God at work within each other, learning how to love and respect each other, and working your finances together will affect many areas of your life.

This subject of men and women and their relationships in the body of Christ is much larger than what this small blog will allow.  But if you can keep this part of marriage straight, it will do wonders for your part in the body of Christ and the body of believers.  And it will do wonders for your marriage and for your storehouses.  It is another small piece of The Prosperous Life.

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Paying off Debt vs Saving Money

A Short on Prosperity #3


There is a difference between paying off debt and saving money. With debt you are paying off a purchase you could not afford to pay for with cash.  Plus, you are paying even more than the purchase price because of the interest added on top.  This is what good consumers do.

With saving you are getting paid interest on your own money.  This is what producers do. Your money is producing income for you in the form of interest or dividends.

It seems like you are getting ahead in both cases, but technically, one (paying off debt) is actually buying something with an interest premium added on top, and the other is saving.  It is not the same thing.  

It may make more sense to pay off the debt before you save because of the interest you are paying on the debt.

BUT once the debt is paid off, you’re still broke.  You still have not followed the biblical admonition to save part of your income.

Proverbs 21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

However, if you save money, you have something to invest, you have something for your labor, you are following the sound wisdom of Proverbs.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Saving part of your income is a great habit, and it does something for your self-image to have money that you have saved in the bank. Believing God at His Word brings joy to the heart. Try it.  Pay off the debt, but save at the same time, so that by the time the debt is paid off you are well into the habit of saving.

When it comes to prosperity, this is another small piece of The Prosperous Life.

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Gifts to Children and Grandchildren

A Short on Prosperity #2

Some people have a long-term perspective on life. They give stock certificates as gifts to their children and grandchildren rather than trinkets that soon break.

The perspective some have on life is from one paycheck to the next.

The perspective some have on life is to live from year to year.

The perspective some have on life is for years down the road till the return of Christ.

Giving stock is a great way to open the doors to teach your children and grandchildren about finances.  You can help them see their lives down the road further than just the next shiny thing that comes along.

You can teach them that money is for saving not spending.

You can teach them that our family is a producer of wealth not a consumer of wealth.

You can teach them that our affluence comes from our balance sheets, not our stuff.

There are many things to teach our offspring and this is just a piece of biblical financial literacy.

Even if all you gave them was $100.00 per year in stock you are already fulfilling the verse:

Pro 13:22  A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

And you will start them on the road to The Prosperous Life.

 

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On Purpose and With Direction


I talked to a middle-aged woman a few years ago that had a European accent.  I asked her how she ended up living and working in the heartland of America.

She said she was attending the wedding of some friends of hers and they asked her to stay for a while. She said, “If I was to stay, I needed some money, so I took a job in a flower shop and I have been here ever since.”  Amazing!

What a great example of a person living out their life where LIFE plopped them down. No planning, no forethought, just allowing themselves to be blown about by the circumstances they encounter.

Life does not have to be lived that way.  Over the holidays, you could take some time to reflect on the past year of your life.

Writing your reflections in a journal can be enlightening as the years pile up.  Memories don’t serve us well. We forget too easily. And at times it is nice to read what you wrote five years ago.  It can remind you of decisions, recall what you thought was important, and help guide you in current affairs.

A journal can be a place to capture thoughts you have had, quotes that impressed you and a place to tell the story of the events in your life. (The link is an eight minute video of Jim Rohn on journaling)

Some people record their health progress, their financial progress, their daily to-do list and longer-term goals in a journal. It can become like a house you live in, only it’s in a book.

Some people keep a thankful journal.  They write at least one thing each day that they were thankful for. This helps train the mind to be thankful instead of being negative.

Some people keep a prayer journal.  They record things they want to pray for regularly as well as temporary prayer requests and then date the request as it was answered.  This is great for reminding yourself that God has answered many of your prayers.

Some people keep all these journals in the same book.  Some keep all the information in one entry, and some people divide the book into sections for each topic.

I kept a journal a few years ago as I went out witnessing one night a week. Part of the goal was to see what God would teach me.  I wrote every night when I got home and it was filled with much learning.

In some cases, as the book or pages fill up you might need to rewrite your prayers or daily goals to keep them on or near current pages.  This is good because the act of rewriting embeds them more firmly in your mind.

You might think what is the point?  Well, writing brings clarity to your feelings and thoughts.  This type of journaling is like building a home for yourself. It can be where your thoughts live on paper.  This can be powerful.  Some things, once you have written them down, no longer live in endless loops in your mind.

You might think no one would be interested in the journals when you pass away.  That may be, but one of my grandfathers died when I was six years old.  I would like to have been able to read about his life, but he kept no written record of his life. Now he is gone and with his death all his insight and wisdom.

My other grandfather went to seminary for a while, then decided to found a church and was a Sunday school teacher for the rest of his life.  I have heard he was deeply knowledgeable in the Old Testament.  I never talked to him about that subject, and he kept no record of his life either, and now he is gone.

Anyone that reads these kinds of journals will know that you were a serious student of life in general and some subjects in particular.

In the process of reflection, you could ask yourself:

  • What or who most influenced me in the past year?
    What were the biggest events in my life this year?
    What were the books I read, (or for the millennials – what books did I listen to!)
  • What inspired me this last year?
    What is my financial situation now compared to January last year?
    What bothered me the most?
    What did I learn from God’s Word that impacted my thinking?
    Where did I go?
    Who are the people that I am around the most?

If I had the year to do over what would I change? (Brian Tracy recommends asking this question weekly – If I were to start over looking for a job or starting a business what would I change?  Change it now!) This is not for condemnation, but the question is for getting a better direction for next year.

This type of reflection is easier to do if you have the habit of doing it regularly.
If you keep a journal, you could see what you wrote about last year and any progress you have made up to now.
Writing is a great way to cause our brains to process events, situations and thoughts.  It can bring things to clarity that might just be blurry now and easily forgotten.
Now the next part of reflecting is to look at the year coming up and decide what you would like to accomplish rather than just let the year happen to you.
Where would you like to visit?

What would you like to see happen in your job or business?
What would it take to see that through?
What decisions do you want to make with your finances? (Sharon and I have gone over this subject frequently and the more we go over it, the more our finances improve, and things get clearer and better.)
How many books would you like to read or listen to?
What topics would you like to learn?
What spiritual goals could you write down to accomplish in the next 12 months?
Maybe you need mentors to help with different areas of life.
(Bible teacher, CPA, nutrition expert or physical trainer)
Become more consistent in keeping a journal.
What do you want in life?  Define it in your journal.

Many times we do not know exactly what we want.  It is hard to get there if you don’t know where you are going.

By reflecting and writing down those reflections, you can guide your life and not be tossed around by circumstances.

So, over the holiday, take some time to reflect on your life and plan out a great year for 2021!

Living The Prosperous Life on purpose and with direction.