We want to know the outcome before it comes. We tell ourselves it’s so we can plan accordingly, but really we want to avoid the unknown. We don’t want to live by faith. We prefer to talk about it, read about it, listen to the stories of others who live by it, but we are truly uncomfortable when it comes to our time to step out of the boat. We are, for the most part, the other disciples. Peter makes us uncomfortable. Being like him scares us.

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Here’s the thing, my friends. We like certainty. We want predictability. We trust what we can measure and believe “facts” that can be verified. We hate not knowing and thus we strive for knowledge, for certainty, for descriptive, cranial information that will allow us to quantify God or at the very least, His dealings in our life.

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I sit on the board of what will be a whole new type of Business College. It will impact this generation and the ones to follow, should the Lord tarry. We will equip men and women with godly business skills to take back the gates of commerce and from there, take back the other strongholds of influence in our culture (media, arts, judiciary, government, education).

The business college is a massive undertaking. Bake sales and car washes aren’t going to cover the bill. So who’s going to put up the money for this? We need $100 million for the start up and $1 billion for the roll out internationally. But guess what? We have a business model to fund this project and are well on our way. We could never conceive of such a project with a wartime, “barely get by” mentality.

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Suffering is part of life, but it is not all of life for most of us. I have had my share of suffering and I know that it is not over, though I wish it were. And in our suffering, there is sweet fellowship with our Savior, if we will choose it and that fellowship seems to mitigate the damage done and even give us a return.

Personally, I think the stuff is going to hit the fan one day soon and when it does we may well experience persecution for our beliefs and other forms of suffering we collectively have tried to not think about. A lot of folks think we are going to be zipped out of here before things get bad. I say… think again.

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There was so much feedback from yesterday’s blog; I wanted to insert some additional thoughts today. It was pointed out that I should have focused on diligence or celebrity as keys to why people get heard instead of for their wealth. I was going to head down the diligence track soon, because that is what, for the most part, produces wealth, when combined with excellence and applied wisdom.

The Pilgrims were praised as good examples of poor people whose voice was heard despite my claim that poor wise men have no voice. Of course, there will always be exceptions - Mother Theresa being one of them. The pilgrims who came over to America 400 years ago had no need of currency once they got here, but it took a great sum of money to charter an ocean-going vessel from one continent to another. Further, the Pilgrim work ethic, later named the Protestant work ethic, is largely responsible for America becoming the greatest economic super power in the world.

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“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.” Ecc 9:16.

Here you have it folks. If you are wise and broke, nobody wants to listen to you. You may be the wisest person in the land and have the best counsel, but if you are also poor, generally speaking, people will not take you seriously. You will not get an audience. Your wisdom will only be for your own entertainment. You won’t make an impact with your wisdom. Kind of a shame don’t you think?

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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”

If there be any praise… If it is worthy of praise, it is worthy of consideration. Don’t be miserly with your praise. Be generous with it. Look for opportunities today to offer well deserved praise. Part of an abundant mindset is the ability to think of, look for and offer praise to the deserving. A person who is cheap with their praise will be cheap with other things, including their money. A person who is cheap with their money has a poverty mindset. Let not that person think they will prosper by God’s hand.

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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.”

If there be any virtue… Another word for virtue here is the word, excellence. To create something excellent requires an abundant mindset. If you are creating an excellent product, you will pay attention to detail and quality and you will spend much more in creating it. A poverty mindset creates cheap products, assuming the clientele are also cheap. (Many times they are.)

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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.”

There are things that all men agree in commending, that are useful and profitable to all. These are the things that are to occupy our mind. According to Proverbs 15:30, “A good report makes the bones healthy.” Good news strengthens us. Bad news tends to weaken us. When we are weakened, we tend to fear and buy into a poverty mindset. When we are strong, we tend to be confident and full of faith. We are fully confident of the abundance of God and His willingness to share every good thing with those who walk uprightly.

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