I read an article title 3 signs of poverty mentality by Randy Gage at www.getmotivation.com today and I was quite agreed with the signs he suggested. He outlines the signs which are natural to human behavior every time a person faces scarcity or lack of resources.
Sign # 1- Constant Fixation on Money- Everybody does that regardless you are poor or rich. The rich dream of getting richer and the poor thinking of how to pay the bills. But it is how and to what degree you manifested yourself on money issue.
Sign #2- Jealousy of Rich People- If you are jealous of rich people and wanting to own what they had you yourself instill hatred of you wanting to get from where you are now to where you want to be at par with them. This is where the real problem starts for yourself. You are not realizing your internal conflict and drawn away the success that comes near you.
Sign #3- Fear Based Decision Making- in Singapore is called “Kiasu” or afraid to lose. This is where you make decision based of fear on loosing your money, your prosperity or your success. The decisions are not made on what the possible benefits are, but made in order to avoid a possible negative outcome. If you make decisions--particularly money and career ones--based on the "moving away from fear" model, you’ve got poverty programming. If your decisions are made based on a positive "move toward prosperity" model, then you have success programming.
The author goes on by saying poverty is a mindset of an individual. How you circumvent the weaknesses, discover and eliminate the poverty mentality replace with positive elements by watch, listen and associates with positive people. He further said prosperity is richness in mindset not abundant of money or resources. This is the end result of what you get by abandon the poverty mentality
Comparatively in Christian world , Bible has taught us that God promises us riches and blessing untold long time ago. In the book of Deutronomy chapter 28 God bless us if we constantly abide in his command. Verse 12 said “ The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its seasons, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” As a Christian we should feel blessed with the word of God guarantee us abundant prosperity. We should receive it with open heart and not be doubt if we ever taste of it. Very often we find Christian himself or herself fails to see themself blessed. There are many reason why Christain feel this way. Lack of spiritual confidence, lack of knowledge in the word of God, lack of pastoral guidance and lack of personal experiences with God are some signs where false form of humility masquerades behind this doubtfulness and leads to a poverty mindset.
In the book of Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. The fear of lack is greatest challenge for everyone but God’s provision is always greater. God’s always attentive to your needs even you did not ask Him. I must admit all of us will face a fear of lack sometime in our lives―whether it’s a lack of food, money, relationships, good health, or the basic provisions needed. God is greater than any fear and he answers our fear of lack with an invitation to faith the He is more than enough. There are many bible story God’s provides on time such as 1 Kings 17, we read two powerful stories of God as provider back-to-back. The prophet Elijah is in need of food and God provides for him in two miraculous but very different ways. Have faith in God and live to ask and pray to God. God will not run out of provision because in Isaiah 40:28 “ Do you not know? Have you not heard? Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom” So God is forever provider to you. You are precious in the sight of God. In Mathew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
If your mentality is always lack of this and that you need to stop yourself and ponder for a while do you want to be this forever or do you want a miraculous change in your life. Meditate on the Bible words each day and pray for God’s guidance through Holy Spirit. If not enough associate with brothers or sisters whose life been touch by God and learn to absorb the positive things from them. God’s promises will always be there for you only will you reach out and touch it.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Greed in You
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Mathew 6.19)
There is a no difference between capitalism, the free market economy, and greed. Capitalism is opposite of religious values and their god is money. Free market economy is an economy license by government to act whatever it can to bring in money .Greed is the primary driver unbridled by any controlling ethical or moral considerations of both capitalism and free market economy.
When people and companies and countries take capitalism to the extreme people and businesses lose focus of what is really important and long-lasting and care about profit and making more and more money in immediate future, but it ultimately kills in the long run. Who cares about the long term after all it is all about me and my few millions.
Who preaches humility any more? How about sacrificial giving? How about storing up treasures in heaven instead of on earth where moths and rust destroy…? Many churches today preaches Five Steps to Financial Freedom, How to Have a Successful Life, Living the Better Life etc and etc. I must admit my church did the same and I feel blessed after each sermon but if I am not careful with the application what the church teaches I myself will be trap by the greed mentality. The gist of these sermons is that as a child of God, you are blessed beyond measure through God’s way. They are all worldly material blessings and bible didn’t said you will be bless material blessing at all. Christians are blessed with all spiritual blessings, according to Ephesians 1:3
Why would we need to be greedy? If we had faith in the provision of God for our daily bread, then why would we want to be greedy? If we trust God for our provision and submit to His providential care and love, then we would know that He cares for us and provides for us. Somehow these question seems so simple but not easily answerable. All this questions leads up to what do you as individual wants.
If I may put up another angle for you let me describe what greed in my own context. Greed is manifested itself in selfishness and by nature is self-centered. Greed cannot be contracted out of thin air like flu but is birth out in and through people. Greed can be disguised by good nature of a person sub consciously without knowing it. If you are not careful greed can be taken to a higher extreme. Greed is idolatry if you ignorance of Gods provisions in your life and you fashion your life slogan “the way it is”.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
So how can we practically solve this greed problem? I think you have to ask yourself are you ready to initiate a new life? Well, i believe in practical steps through the teaching of Bible.
Firstly, we first must look at where greed birth from. As I touch earlier greed comes from in and through you. It is practical that you have to build a new nature in life no longer self centered, selfishness or focus on me, I, mine. Allow the word of God pierce through your nature through the working of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word brings revival, God’s teach the things of truth , and live a Biblical life as far as one can. In due time God mortifying the sins in your life through the Spirit working through the Word. I know it sounds simple but in reality it is not. If you don’t try it you wouldn’t know the end of it.
Secondly, we need to be humble and humility to our way of life. I don’t ask Christians to live in poverty voluntarily, but we need to be able to help those in need, especially within our own local congregation, and live a life that reflects the values of our Lord God and not those of the world. Good Christian characteristics build up the life of an individual. Life of an individual reflects the blessing and works of God.
Thirdly, learn to uphold your believe through executing Christians values in your career, places of business or even in with your neighbour. Your thoughts and decisions epitomize the strength of God in you. If you allow greed to seep through your cracks in life in due time you will be broken up.Uphold your values and God will mend all the cracks in your life.
I know it is not an easy subject for all to swallow. I myself must admit i am too see myself struggling to follow the steps i thing a christian should take. Nevertheless, i must strive my first steps to become new nature and hope God and Holy Spirit will guide me.
Money is important but too much money is the root of all kinds of evil enslaving on our lives. Christ never promised it would be easy, but he did promise never to leave us or forsake us, and that he would be with always, to the very end of the age.
God Bless
There is a no difference between capitalism, the free market economy, and greed. Capitalism is opposite of religious values and their god is money. Free market economy is an economy license by government to act whatever it can to bring in money .Greed is the primary driver unbridled by any controlling ethical or moral considerations of both capitalism and free market economy.
When people and companies and countries take capitalism to the extreme people and businesses lose focus of what is really important and long-lasting and care about profit and making more and more money in immediate future, but it ultimately kills in the long run. Who cares about the long term after all it is all about me and my few millions.
Who preaches humility any more? How about sacrificial giving? How about storing up treasures in heaven instead of on earth where moths and rust destroy…? Many churches today preaches Five Steps to Financial Freedom, How to Have a Successful Life, Living the Better Life etc and etc. I must admit my church did the same and I feel blessed after each sermon but if I am not careful with the application what the church teaches I myself will be trap by the greed mentality. The gist of these sermons is that as a child of God, you are blessed beyond measure through God’s way. They are all worldly material blessings and bible didn’t said you will be bless material blessing at all. Christians are blessed with all spiritual blessings, according to Ephesians 1:3
Why would we need to be greedy? If we had faith in the provision of God for our daily bread, then why would we want to be greedy? If we trust God for our provision and submit to His providential care and love, then we would know that He cares for us and provides for us. Somehow these question seems so simple but not easily answerable. All this questions leads up to what do you as individual wants.
If I may put up another angle for you let me describe what greed in my own context. Greed is manifested itself in selfishness and by nature is self-centered. Greed cannot be contracted out of thin air like flu but is birth out in and through people. Greed can be disguised by good nature of a person sub consciously without knowing it. If you are not careful greed can be taken to a higher extreme. Greed is idolatry if you ignorance of Gods provisions in your life and you fashion your life slogan “the way it is”.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
So how can we practically solve this greed problem? I think you have to ask yourself are you ready to initiate a new life? Well, i believe in practical steps through the teaching of Bible.
Firstly, we first must look at where greed birth from. As I touch earlier greed comes from in and through you. It is practical that you have to build a new nature in life no longer self centered, selfishness or focus on me, I, mine. Allow the word of God pierce through your nature through the working of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word brings revival, God’s teach the things of truth , and live a Biblical life as far as one can. In due time God mortifying the sins in your life through the Spirit working through the Word. I know it sounds simple but in reality it is not. If you don’t try it you wouldn’t know the end of it.
Secondly, we need to be humble and humility to our way of life. I don’t ask Christians to live in poverty voluntarily, but we need to be able to help those in need, especially within our own local congregation, and live a life that reflects the values of our Lord God and not those of the world. Good Christian characteristics build up the life of an individual. Life of an individual reflects the blessing and works of God.
Thirdly, learn to uphold your believe through executing Christians values in your career, places of business or even in with your neighbour. Your thoughts and decisions epitomize the strength of God in you. If you allow greed to seep through your cracks in life in due time you will be broken up.Uphold your values and God will mend all the cracks in your life.
I know it is not an easy subject for all to swallow. I myself must admit i am too see myself struggling to follow the steps i thing a christian should take. Nevertheless, i must strive my first steps to become new nature and hope God and Holy Spirit will guide me.
Money is important but too much money is the root of all kinds of evil enslaving on our lives. Christ never promised it would be easy, but he did promise never to leave us or forsake us, and that he would be with always, to the very end of the age.
God Bless
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