PROSPERITY THAT WORKS…
A number of years ago we planted a church in Atlanta, Georgia, a city known for an abundance of prosperity preachers. And, as we discovered, a lot of poor church people. So I taught them how to prosper. Some have stayed in touch. All of them have the same story—prosperity works, if you know how to work it. The problem is that most prosperity preaching doesn’t work because it doesn’t teach prosperity—it teaches giving.
Giving is a wonderful thing. A necessary thing. Without seedtime there is no harvest. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom.” That sounds prosperous to me! I have lived sowing and reaping for over fifty years, and it works wonderfully well, IF… you know how to prosper.
My uncle recently retired from farming in western Oklahoma. He was quite successful at it, and in the Oklahoma Farmer’s Hall of Fame. He prospered. Because he knew that sowing and reaping is more than planting a seed, it’s a process. And it involves a little work.
Prosperity begins with a “want to.” You have to want to prosper. Let me define “want to.”
Many people say that they want to prosper and then do everything that they can do not to prosper. They fail to attain the education needed to succeed. They fail to continue educating themselves after they’ve finished their matriculation. They buy things they can’t afford. Fail to watch their finances. Make bad choices. Enter into bad relationships. Anyone you know? I hope it’s not you. But if it is—you can prosper—if you want to.
“Want to” is a decision. I made the decision when I was twenty. Newly married, and flat broke, we went to see a family friend who was holding a meeting a hundred and fifty miles from home. I put my last twenty in the offering—the twenty that I needed to buy gas with, the gas that I needed to get home! Afterwards we ate a homely meal together, and he told me that I had a responsibility to my “little wife,” (his words), and needed to prosper. He gave me a few suggestions, and pulled a twenty from his billfold. That twenty got us home. I thought about his advice, (mainly because I didn’t want to hear what he said!), and after a couple of weeks made my decision—I would prosper. The rest is history.
Let me say that I would be far more prosperous than I am now if I had paid a little closer attention to the “want to.” For example—I traded cars way too often. I’ve discovered that most really prosperous people buy a car and drive it until it falls apart. Most of us spend way too much money on things that depreciate rather then appreciate. But you live and you learn. And I’ve learned a few things.
When you join me “Behind The Door” this week I’m going to share some of the things that will make prosperity work for you. The password is PROGRESS. Join me now “Behind The Door,” work the word, and make prosperity work for you!
