The keys to developing an abundant mindset are found in Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Adam Clarke (1762–1832), the great British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar, translates the word given as “lovely” to mean: “Whatsoever is amiable on its own account and on account of its usefulness to others, whether in your conduct or conversation.” Developing an abundant mind includes the idea of thinking of things that are helpful or useful to others. This may include deeds or finances or simply an encouraging word, but they all involve a sacrifice of your time.

If you have a poverty mentality, you see time as something that could be better spent in pursuit of natural abundance, which you also see as being in short supply. An abundant mind is looking for ways to enhance the lives of others, whether materially, practically or emotionally. It knows that time given up in this activity will be multiplied back in other ways to replace with increase what was given up.

Years ago, I was flying cross country and feeling limited on time and resources, so I wanted to use my travel time to work on a proposal. The Lord spoke to me that the person next to me was unsaved and I needed to engage him in conversation. I dismissed the thought as not being from God and proceeded to work. Moments later, the man engaged me and after a brief exchange, asked me what it meant to be a born again believer. I may be slow, but I’m not stupid. I closed my computer and spent the rest of the flight sharing my faith and answering questions with that man and his mother.

My wife picked me up at the airport and handed me a letter from a Fortune 100 company inviting me to speak to their executives at an upcoming event. While I was being useful to one of God’s lost children, He had supplied me with something I may never have gotten on my own.

The keys to developing an abundant mindset are found in Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

So let’s look at the fourth area where Paul directs us: Purity. It literally means “whatsoever is chaste”. It is in reference to the state of the mind, and to the acts of the body. Nothing defiles quite like impurity and for the believer who thinks or acts out impurity, they must also deal with the debilitating feelings of guilt, shame and unworthiness.

Impurity is a cancer. It attaches itself to something good and slowly, but surely deprives it of life. If not removed, it will take over the entire body, killing the person, the potential, the dream. Legalism and determination are no match for its power once it has gotten a hold on you. In my opinion, only the blood of Christ applied to your soul and a true revelation of the grace of God can free you. (I highly recommend Grace Rules and Grace Walk by Steve McVey)

It is virtually impossible to stop thinking about something. The harder you try, the more you fail. The cure? Simply start thinking about something else, preferably in the opposite direction. Impure thoughts lead to poverty of the soul and ultimately a very real natural poverty. (Yes, I know impure men have at times amassed vast fortunes, but Jeremiah 12 says they are being fattened for the day of slaughter. David had the same question, until he understood their end. Psalm 78:17-19). An abundant mind is a pure mind and from it will spring forth many good things that lead to abundance in all its forms.

The keys to developing an abundant mindset are found in Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

An abundant mind is full of truth, honor (honesty) and also loves what is just. The unsaved of the world judge us much more by our deeds than our words. In particular, they pay attention to whether we are just in our dealings. If it even looks like we’re not, the accusations come. I believe it is our duty to not only be just in our dealings, but to go the extra mile to ensure our reputation for being just.

When we are not just in our dealings, it seems to me that the injustice is always done to the other party. We are rarely unjust to ourselves and if so, it is usually an accident! With that in mind, we must consider why we would be unjust? I submit to you it has its roots in a poverty mentality. We somehow feel that if we made ourselves just in the eyes of the other guy, it would cost us too much, hurt us financially or there wouldn’t be enough left to take care of our needs. That is poverty thinking. We must act justly. Bite the bullet. Think justly. It is what the Lord requires. (Micah 6:8)

When we embrace the abundant mindset of being just, we open the door of provision to accomplish that justice. God would not tell us to be just and make it impossible to do so. I believe He would also honor that and make provision as needed because you can be trusted.

The keys to developing an abundant mindset are found in Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Not only will filling my mind with Scripture (truth) prepare me for natural abundance, so also will filling my mind with whatever things are honest. As we previously discussed, the better translation of the word “honest” is “honorable”, but we will look at both. If I am thinking honestly about things, I will in no way attempt to acquire abundance dishonestly. Thinking honestly actually builds a rail for the train of my dreams to travel down. It keeps me from veering off into disaster or from having no guideline whatsoever.

Thinking honorably, or on the things that are worthy of honor, lifts me and prepares me to receive good things. When I am at my most honorable, I am also at my most generous and most benevolent. Thinking in terms of honor, I want to honor God, change the culture, impact my generation, etc. That often requires natural abundance and when I think honorably, it purifies my motives and frees me to think about acquiring the natural abundance required for the work God has given me. Not that I would attempt to obtain that abundance apart from God, but rather laboring with Him at His invitation. (“With God, all things are possible.”)

The keys to developing an abundant mindset are found in Phil 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The first place I must develop abundance is in my mind. When I marinate my mind in abundance, it will get in my heart and will naturally find expression in my day to day life. Not by the things I acquire, but rather the liberality or generosity with which I live. (Of course, to give, I must first have.) When you think on things that are true, for example, you might well ponder the implications of Romans 8:32… “For God who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also, freely give us all things?”

I once took the better part of the day just to attempt to take in the implications of that verse. I would love to hear your feedback on it. For some, it will mean spiritual gifts, for others it might mean healing or natural provision. From my perspective, it is not limited. There is nothing He will withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

If all I think about is natural abundance, then my mind is starved indeed and anything but abundant. To have an abundant mind, it must be filled with the kind of things Paul tells us to think on. When our mind is abundant in this way, our hearts will be also and then it will be much easier to manifest in our lives the natural abundance we need to fulfill the purpose of God for our life.

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Selling Among Wolves

“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are… honest.” (Phil 4:8) Although the word translated here as honest literally means “worthy of honor or regard”, most translations just use the word, “honest”. So let’s talk about that for a moment. First, we are urged to think on things that are honest. When we think honest thoughts, we speak honest words. If we speak things or do things that are not honest, they first found a haven in our thoughts. Our words and actions are simply the overflow of our thought life.

I heard a man once say that we all have a little larceny in us. I was at first offended, but then upon honest reflection, I found that there have been plenty of occasions when I dodged the truth or told the truth, but conveyed a lie. The latter being the easiest on the conscience, but a lie nonetheless. Perhaps the best cure for that is to expose it to the light and correct misconceptions when they occur by your hand, whether intentional or not. It seems we either want people to think better of us than they ought or not as bad of us as they should.

Overcoming this is easy. Ask the Holy Spirit (and/or your spouse) to help you see when you give the wrong impression, then simply correct it. A friend of mine, we’ll call Joseph, was in a high level meeting recently and misspoke the number of transactions his company had concluded. As the conversation continued, he realized that he had mistakenly used a slightly higher number and instead of just letting it pass, he apologized to the man for the mistake and gave the corrected number. He didn’t have to embarrass himself like that and no one would have known, but he has adapted a zero tolerance for the leaven of larceny. The business man he was meeting with appreciated the correction, thanked him for setting the record straight and knew he had met an honest man he could do business with.

“Finally brethren, whatsoever things are… honest.” (Phil 4:8) The word translated here as honest is more literally rendered “venerable, reverend, honorable and reputable”. The word was originally used in relation to the gods and to the things that pertained to them, as being worthy of honor or veneration. As applied to men, it commonly means grave, dignified, worthy of honor or regard.

So here Paul urges us to think on things that are worthy of honor, subjects that carry great dignity and high regard. As I read those words, I wondered just how often I have ever actually followed that advice. I think I have read those words more often than I have actually deliberately practiced them. When was the last time you stopped to consciously elevate your thinking by focusing on something that was worthy of honor? What would you think about if you took five minutes right now to do so?

Why should we do that anyway and what is the effect? I believe we become like whatever we think most about and if we spend time thinking along the lines Paul urges us, we become honorable and truthful and praiseworthy, etc. Whose example do you know that demonstrated honor? Who do you know that lived with great dignity? The writer of Hebrews takes us down that path in the 11^th chapter by reminding us of the heroes of faith.

Take a few minutes today and bring to mind someone whose honor inspires you. Maybe read an inspiring biography or watch a movie that exemplifies honor. Consider what they did that was so honorable and why they did it. Ponder the values they had, the price they paid and the example they left. Lift yourself up on their shoulders, breathe the rarified air and gain a fresh perspective on life.

Last Wednesday, I put out a challenge to all of us to put aside an hour a day or a total of five hours during the week to deliberately fill our mind with something positive. Could be the Bible, a book, CD’s, prayer, etc and then we would compare notes in a week. So here goes…

For starters, I didn’t succeed in getting that full hour in each day. I did begin listening to the Bible on MP3 and reading “Through New Eyes – Developing a Biblical View of the World” by James Jordan. It is helping me see all of what God created in a whole new light. I am motivated this week to continue.

I agree with Ray Baylis on the blog that we compare notes, so please share with the group what you gained this past week in terms of insight, inspiration or ideas. My friend Dave Moore, with InJesus Global Missions, who travels frequently to Africa, emailed me a testimony that really helped me and I am choosing to pass this on for our mutual edification. It is entitled, “Manna from Heaven”…

Kingspride Hammond, native born in Ghana, but an American citizen, is now a full time missionary to Northern Sub-Sahara Ghana. He has a large mission compound consisting of a vocational school, a medical and dental clinic, a fish farm and a land farm. The area was experiencing a drought. This is a serious issue in the dessert land, as farms were withering and animals and even humans were dying due to the lack of rain. King noticed in Genesis Chapter 26 that God told Isaac not to go to Egypt during the famine, but rather to sow in spite of the famine.

King took this as a Rhema Word directly from the Lord. He obeyed and sowed the 13 acre farm with corn seed. He told the Lord, “Lord, I don’t know if it will rain or not, but I am not looking to the rain, or to my own efforts, I am looking to You.” All the other farms in the area were withering with no rain in sight. Animals were dying. However the mission farm corn crop grew without rain, and yielded even 10% more than the years when they did have rain. The implications went far beyond the corn. The Muslims came and wanted to know about this God that caused the corn to grow. The Ju-Ju priests came and told King they had sacrificed to their god and done many incantations, yet their god did not produce like his God.

The answer? King had a single eye. He went through the asking, seeking and knocking. The storm of drought came, but as a doer of the Word his house stood on the Rock and others flocked to the house that stood. Where are you planting?

Refuse to accept what the world says, for you are a child of God and His “promises” are true. We are experiencing a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit throughout the land. As I prepare for my next journey to Africa in just a few short weeks, it is exciting to be apart of what God is doing in the world. This truly is the “Great Adventure.”

Does money measure my success? Or my self-worth?

How much money is required to be secure? Or independent?

How do I know when I am in God’s will as it relates to money?

When I don’t have enough money, what is God trying to teach me?

These are just a few of the questions Os Hillman will answer in an upcoming
3 Tele-Class LIVE Teaching Series on the topic of money.

Tele-Class 1 — Exposing the Five Fallacies of Money

Each fallacy will be exposed and the underlying strongholds revealed. As you listen, you will be able to clearly identify which of these fallacies have shaped your own thinking about money and caused you to make wrong choices in life. This will be a very eye-opening class!

Tele-Class 2 — God’s Five Purposes for Money

We need to view money the way God views it. He gave wealth to some people in the Bible, and to others He did not. As you hear what Scripture clearly teaches about money, you will gain an understanding of how God uses money in the lives of His children… with His ultimate goals of forming Christlikeness in each of us and using us for His glory.

Tele-Class 3 — Profits and Motives

Have you ever felt guilty making money? Some would argue that making a profit should not be a concern for Christians. While capitalism has many potentially devastating pitfalls, as Christ followers, we need to be able to discern our motives for our decisions and hear God clearly on financial matters. This class will be especially helpful to business owners and entrepreneurs.

Click here to learn more, register and receive a free gift!