John Avanzini - Recession-Proof Prosperity

Recession-Proof Prosperity

Improper Attitudes Toward Money Can Harm You

When talking about money or any other topic in Scripture, it is important to maintain a balance. The first thing I want to show you is the proper balance on this controversial topic.

Money does have the potential to harm you if you don't control it according to God's specific instructions. It can harm you if you use it for dark and sinful purposes. It can harm you if you use it to buy destructive substances (drugs or narcotics). It can hurt you and others if you use it to fulfill the lusts of the flesh instead of the will of the Spirit.

In Matthew 19 Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and follow Him. When the young ruler could not give up his wealth, he proved he was not in control of his riches. Instead, his riches controlled him. Don't think for a moment that his money did not hurt him. It literally cost him his soul!

Money has the potential to harm you if you cannot control it in accordance with God's will for your life. You are in danger when it begins to rule you, instead of your ruling it.

The love of money caused Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. For just thirty pieces of silver, he handed Jesus over to be crucified, and lost his own soul.

Begin to view money as any other tool you have available for your use. How you use that tool will determine whether or not it does harm or good. Gasoline, electricity, guns, cars, explosives, nuclear power, airplanes, moneyall of these tools can improve the quality of man's life. However, all of them can cause severe harm when misused or out of control. Their blessing or harm to your life is determined by whether or not they are operated under your control.

Money can do many good things, but when it is not controlled by the Spirit of God in us, it can literally destroy us. So don't be so naive as to think money won't hurt you. It is capable of doing eternal damage if you let it control you.

Money Doesn't Guarantee Happiness

Money itself never guarantees happiness. If money guaranteed happiness, all the rich folks would be marvelously happy, and all the poor folks would be miserably sad. We know this is not the case. Rich people commit suicide. Rich people visit psychologists to treat their depression. Rich people deal with unhappy issues such as divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, and even financial problems. Many rich people spend the early part of their lives in misery, trying to accumulate their fortunes. Then they spend the latter part of their lives in misery trying to hold on to the fortunes they have accumulated.

Money simply does not guarantee happiness. True happiness and lasting peace come through a proper relationship with Jesus.

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Romans 14:17-19

When your relationship with God is right, your money will not cause you problems and unhappiness. Instead it will be a blessing and a source of happiness for you and others around you.

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 10:22

God will not harm you when He multiplies money back to you. When you have the right heart and spirit in giving your money to Him, God will grant you riches. Although your God-given wealth will not guarantee your happiness, God does promise the riches He gives you will not bring you sorrow. You see, righteousness, peace, and joy are found in God, not money.

The God-Given Laws of Poverty and Prosperity

God has created spiritual laws that determine who has wealth, and who will remain poor. The laws of poverty and the laws of prosperity were created by the same God who created the law of gravity. All of His laws work every time.

An apple will always fall to the ground. That's God's law of gravity.

A person will become rich or poor by following God's laws.

One law of poverty says if you are lazy, or if you don't understand your task, your fields will not bring forth abundance. They will grow thorns and nettles. (Nettles are a symbol of the unproductive yield that causes insufficiency.)

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Proverbs 24:30 ,31

One law of prosperity says if you are not lazy and can work without supervision, you will receive a bountiful supply.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

You may be saying, "Brother John, I resent the implication that I'm lazy. I'm not, but I am always without the abundance I need."

Please understand that I have touched on only two factors in a poverty mentality, laziness and the lack of understanding. There are many other laws. Just continue to study, and you will experience a gradual transformation of your thoughts into a prosperity mentality.

Do as the Bereans did in the first century: they received the gospel readily, and searched the Scripture daily to see if it was true (Acts 17:10 ,11 ).

God's Law of Reward

Think about the word reward. God's spiritual law of reward simply states:

... for the laborer is worthy of his hire [reward]....

Luke 10:7

Your employer is not doing you any special favor by giving you a paycheck. Whatever your vocation, your wages are yours scripturally, morally, and legally. You have earned them. They are not a gift.

When you work hard, God's law demands that you receive your reward.

He that tilleth [works hard] his land shall have plenty of bread....

Proverbs 28:19

If you are working hard, expect to receive your just reward.

Now the other side of this law of reward is that if you don't work, you get no reward. God's Word is emphatic about it.

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

1 Timothy 5:8

... if any would not work, neither should he eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:10

Plant this law firmly in your mind. Like all of God's spiritual laws, it is an absolute! Those who till the land will have plenty of bread. If your hard work is not bringing plenty of bread into your life, then some spiritual law of poverty is working to stop God's desire for you.

Day by day, as you examine the different spiritual laws for prosperity, you will begin to understand it is His perfect will that you have more than enough.

Remember:

The laborer is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7).

If you work hard, you will have plenty of bread (Proverbs 28:19).

Any person who won't provide for his own family is worse than an infidel [non-believer] (1 Timothy 5:8).

The Bible says if you won't work, you shouldn't eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Reaping in Recession

Recession, inflation, and economic hard times have been with mankind almost since the beginning of time. They are not new problems. The biblical answers to these conditions first appear early in the Book of Genesis.

And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham....

Genesis 26:1

God gave Isaac specific instructions to follow in order to prosper during those economic hard times.

1. Stay faithful to God's commands.

Don't let circumstances ruin your good, Christian habits. Many saints become inconsistent in times of economic pressure. Fluctuation from your Christian principles will only weaken you further. The Lord blessed Isaac because of obedience (Isaiah 1:19).