Develop an Abundant Mind - Part 2 of 8
April 17th, 2007 | Michael Pink
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.”)
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April 18th, 2007 at 11:38 am
I have a little problem with your abundant mind material. A lot of Christians think obedience brings abundance of material stuff and that is not always the case. Many Christians worship the blessing from God rather than the giver of those blessings.
Paul said we should not steal. The alternative was hard work with our own hands. But the main purpose was not merely to hoard or even to have. The purpose was %u201Cto have to give.%u201D %u201CLet him labor, working with his hands, that he may have to give to him who is in need%u201D (Ephesians 4:28). This is not a justification for being rich in order to give more. It is a call to make more and keep less so you can give more. There is no reason why a person who makes $200,000 should live any differently from the way a person who makes $80,000 lives. Find a wartime lifestyle; cap your expenditures; then give the rest away.
We should not encourage people to think that they should possess wealth in order to be a lavish giver? Why not encourage them to keep their lives more simple and be an even more lavish giver? Would that not add to their generosity a strong testimony that Christ, and not possessions, is their treasure?
Don%u2019t develop a philosophy of ministry that promotes less faith in the promises of God to be for us what money can%u2019t be.
The reason the writer to the Hebrews tells us to be content with what we have is that the opposite implies less faith in the promises of God. He says, %u201CKeep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, %u2018I will never leave you nor forsake you.%u2019 So we can confidently say, %u2018The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?%u2019%u201D (Hebrews 13:5-6).
If the Bible tells us that being content with what we have honors the promise of God never to forsake us, why would we want to teach people to want to be rich?
April 18th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Micahel, I agree with your premise. While Kern is right that we need to worship the Giver and not the gift, and that we need to be content in all things, it is also true that as we think so we become.
This is a Biblical principle and can be supported thoroughly. The world has adapted this and used it to gain riches. But God’s purposes are mightier. As we think on the things of God we will be transformed into a more Christ-like person. God does promise to bless his people. While we cannot determine what those blessings will look like, they can and often do include natural blessings.
While I understand Kern’s caution, I also feel that he is like a shut off valve on a spigot. Where God might want to sow blessings into his people, words can also sow doubt into opur faith that God desires to bless us.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
I believe that we should be preparing ourselves to receive the abundance of God, no matter what that abundance looks like in individual situations. Of course the primary abundance is not material, it’s relationship with God, health, family, etc. However, there is nothing wrong with seeking to maximize your interaction in the market place. I believe here that Michael is emphasizing preparing our hearts so that no matter what we are doing, including our jobs, that we are walking in God’s will and character. Since Michael is addressing the business world, especially sales, it will of course be primarily focused on business. It is very easy to let greed and culture take over when you are working in the market place and what I’ve learned when I read Michael’s materials is how to stay focused on God first and performing my business as if He were right there watching me (which of course He is). Don’t forget, Jesus was a business man (carpenter), before He started His ministry. Also, there are many very successful business men/women in the Bible who God blessed.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
First, Michael, wonderful work here!!! Right on the mark.
And a quote of the new century: “Thinking honestly actually builds a rail for the train of my dreams to travel down.” Wow!
Kern, thank you for your well reasoned reply. But respectfully, I think you are responding to worldview that Michael does not represent. When I read your reply, I re-read Michael’s blog. No where is he asserting that gaining wealth should be in place of faith. What I believe he is saying is that as stewards of the earth, we are to bring abundance (in all jurisdictions, finances among them).
I agree with you that many church attendees have been taught that if they obey they’ll get rich, skinny, and have no pain. No mature disciple of Christ can believe this. One only has to look at Job, Stephen, or Jesus to see that obedience to God often leads to INTENSE suffering not some escapist false gospel. (often referred to as the prosperity gospel)
That said, I think the point of Michael’s excellent piece is that we are to be diligent in bringing a “30, 60, 100 fold” return on God’s investment in our lives. Like you said, not to hoard, but to utilize in the co-labor of building God’s kingdom with Him and our brothers and sisters. After all Jesus taught more on stewardship in the NT than any other topic. One has to ask why? I think the answer lies in another question: What are we saved to do? I think we are saved to “disciple the nations” and that doing that will require many, many resources and skills - one of which will be trillions of dollars of assets. Noah needed that gopher wood, didn’t he?
The last servant who had received one talent reported that knowing his master was a hard man, he buried his talent in the ground for safekeeping, and therefore returned the original amount to his master. The master called him a wicked and lazy servant, saying that he should have placed the money in the bank to generate interest. The master commanded that the one talent be taken away from that servant, and given to the servant with ten talents, because everyone that has much will be given more, and whoever that has a little, even the little that he has will be taken away. And the master ordered the servant to be thrown outside into the darkness where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Consider: Everyone who has much will be given more. I don’t debase this scripture by confining the meaning to money. But I also won’t exclude it on the premise that God would treat us like Pharaoh and demand bricks without straw.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Here’s a question for you, Michael, or for anyone else who’d be interested in providing biblical advice. I have been offered a job internally within my company. With the offer they have promised a 6% increase in pay. I am grateful for that and thank God for His steadfast provision. However, when I look at salary averages for similar positions, I’m still being paid less than the industry “fair market value”. Is it “honest” or right to bring this to my employers attention, or is it just greedy?
April 18th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Pierre, I would encourage you to pray and seeks God’s wisdom where He wants you. Joseph was thown into jail and it was not fair but that is where God wanted him. A lot of times we look on the circumstances while God is looking at the big picture. Ask God where He wants you and you will have joy.
April 18th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I did not mean to say that Michael does represent that worldview. But a lot of Christians do. God sometimes gives us things that are for more valuable than material wealth. If and when God blesses us with financial blessings, we need to ask God why he blessed us and what does He want us to do with the abundance. Too many Christians increase their living standard instead of doing what God intended us to do and that is to give it away.
I hear a lot of preaching on prosperity and not much on suffering. We are called to suffer, Christ suffered and He said, if I suffered you will to. I believe in America we are worried about our comfort and not honoring God with our wordly wealth.
April 25th, 2007 at 5:18 am
Thanks for thought provoking postings. As a recently retired self-storage complex owner, I’m thankful for all the provisions and blessings the Lord gave us.
We ministered to those who rented from us, in our 68,000-sf self-storage complex in Koreatown. Without the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, our company and employees would have failed the multicultural community, who needed a compassionate voice, and an understanding heart.
We trusted the Lord to show us when, where, how, and who, as we seeked His face. Being in ministry in our workplace, and reaching out to the community saved our business, during the Los Angeles riots in 1992.
One of our favorite scriptures from the Message –”The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” John 1:14. Not only did we “see Him in the smoke and clouds” over Los Angeles, we were protected and surrounded by His Holy Spirit. Ministry to our tenants and neighbors give us blessings beyond expectations. We were twice-blessed — by those who received, and by those who gave. Then when God showered His blessings, we were humbled by His lovingkidness and generous spirit.
His Glory was manifested over our business and community during the outreaches in our parking lot, reaching out to the less fortunate.
Food and clothing giveaways, gifts during the Holidays, and spiritual guidance brought the neighbors and children, filling our parking lot regularly. One-on-one gifts and givings. Truly a blessing to those who joined us in one accord.
Sue Sabas
Hastentogether.com
Hastentogether@aol.com
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:03 am
For the longest time I thought I understood that I was supposed to just suffer gracefully in financial poverty, dispite working hard and then giving 10% or as generously as I was able. After all, that’s what I learned in church and through family teachings. I grew up with little and as an adult, still had very little.
Then I heard a marvelous teaching by Dr. Mark Rutland, entitled “Gilgal,” wherein he discusses how the church teaches the wonderful gift of manna from Heaven and shoes & clothing that did not wear out, to the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for 40 year. But then he goes further to point out that it was because of their disobedience to God that they found themselves in the desert for so long in the first place. It was not God’s intent or desire to have them wander there under those conditions. God wanted to give them the land of milk and honey and fabulous abundance because He is a loving and generous God. Yes, that includes all areas of abundance, including financial abundance.
This idea was so enlightening to me and it has changed my focus entirely. While I still occasionally fall into a pity party regarding my current financial state, I am also working to have a deeper understanding of a loving God’s plan for me that, I now know, includes all areas of abundance.
While some ministries seem to try to draw people in by preaching only on prosperity, I believe, at least in my case, that the church has done a disservice in promoting suffering as such a wonderful and noble thing. When all is said and done, God is a loving God and if we, who are sinful, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more would a loving God be willing to give us (including an everlasting life through Christ’s sacrafice), but also other things here on earth — Abraham was wealthly beyond measure and when Joseph emerged from prison, he had control of all the wealth of Egypt.
God’s blessings to you all.
May 4th, 2007 at 6:49 am
In response to Erick and others who have addressed stewardship, blessing and sufferings. My own experience in the last 22 years with the LORD started with HIM initiating the relationship with me and making himself known to me in miraculous ways. (I used to be a Navy pilot, which is normally a big EGO boost for a man, especially a man of the flesh; some 3 to 4 times God spared me life. Each time he did, I was more and more humbled and became more aware of how deeply he loved me and that he was calling me to do something different and to be someone different. After the last incident, which was so horrific, I simply asked him to confirm that he wanted me to take the step of faith in leaving the Navy, which for many people, seemed to be a dumb move, but for me, I knew it was exactly what he wanted. He confirmed to me the very next day, and my journey with him began.)
When I gave myself to Jesus and told him I not only needed him and loved him for all that he has done, I did not attach any strings, I just told him that I wanted to do and be whatever he wanted me to do with my life. HE said to put his kingdom first, and ALL these things would be added unto you. When I have put the LORD first and honored and glorified HIM….in how I raise my children, in how I love others (unconditionally) in how I treat my employees, yes in all these little things, I know that my Father in heaven knows my heart’s intention, that he knows I want to do good by Him and glorify Him, I know he has blessed me and my family because of it.
Some 17 years ago I started a business with just $5,000.00. Today our net worth is over 3 million dollars and I am retired from working at age 46 with a thriving business which I have entrusted to others to operate. Was it hard work, of course. But in my case, I know that God provided it ALL. First by providing me education, then different positions of employment which gave me the practical experience necessary and finally God opened the doors of opportunity for the business. I give him the credit and Glory for the blessings he has given me and my family. But I know that there were many points in time where I was tested to see if I would do the right thing(s) with the blessings. You see, we entered this world by the hand of God and we had nothing. When God takes us home to Heaven, again, we won’t be bringing anything with us. So, ALL of the stuff (possesions, wealth, knowledge, skills, etc.) we must remember are gifts from above that we are just stewards over for a little while, they are all temporal. The challenge is to invest ALL of the things that GOD has given to us to get the best Eternal returns on said investment.
And please remember what God said through Paul…to be content with whatever state you find yourself in,
whether you have much or you have little. Knowing Jesus and loving our merciful creator, our Messiah and our soon coming King is the greatest treasure in the universe. He knows our needs and will provide. Remember to put HIM first.
Peace and Grace,
Al
May 4th, 2007 at 10:26 am
So wonderfully stated, Al.