Nothing's Wrong With Getting Rich

Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. - Proverbs 21 : 6

(Source: www.rinesinthepines.com)

Who doesn't want to get rich? Living a wealthy life, with no financial problems?

The question is, how to be rich / wealthy in a Christian's way?

It is not a post about being rich in our spiritual life, but in our finances. Being too over-spiritual is not a good thing.

Wealth is so much more attractive than any other things in this world, and as surely as God lives, He wants everyone of us to live a wealthy life. Yet, wealth can be used against us. Yes, this is also one of the devil greatest weapon. Imagine how he tempted Jesus, with physical need, divine protection, authority and wealth.

King Solomon also warns us about it in Proverbs, that wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.

Business world is a cruel world, the survival of the fittest. Yet, can Christian keeps their integrity? Getting rich without taking any shortcuts? Yes, of course there is a way. When we keep our way right, God will pour out His blessings over our businesses, family, health and every single aspects of our lives.

Since shortcuts are like traps, and everything we earned are like a vanishing mist; why must we take shortcut? For a moment of wealth, we could lose so much more. Why not keep our integrity and be sure to know that God will never shortchanged us.

Quick Secrets to Riches

A short and humorous message I got from my friend, I believe it would truly bless you.

1. Choose a rich parent (If you failed, see number 2)

2. Find a only child from a rich family to be your spouse (If it's too late, see number 3)

3. Buy a lottery (If you never won it, you got to use number 4)

4. Rob a bank or corrupt million of dollars (But you wouldn't dare to do it if you got conscience. And so, you must use number 5)

5. Study hard, work hard, earn your money legally (If you worked for 20 years and you are still a middle-class man, then you must and you must use the last resort, number 6)

6. Learn to be rich, learn to feel rich, be thankful of what you have till today, reduce your attachment from a devilish circle called "MONEY" (Then you will be rich, rich in your heart, free from worries)

The point is this: Be thankful with what you have, don't worry about what you don't have.

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." - Hebrews 13 : 5

In Pain?

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. - 1 Chronicles 4 : 10

How would you feel if your name means "PAIN"? That must be tough on Jabez ever since he was born. Branded as "the one who brings pain", nobody would ever wanted that. Despised, looked down, and I think he might get bullied by his classmates.

But Jabez was never been brought down by the situation. In verse 9 it says that Jabez was more honorable than any of his brother.

How did he do that? There are two verses that told us about the whole life of Jabez. Yet in the entire verse 10, it only tells us about his prayer.

He is a prayer warrior indeed. Look at his prayer, he asked for 4 things:
1. Bless me
He can't expect blessing from other people. Remember, they hated him. God's blessing will always be his comfort.
2. Enlarge my territory
This doesn't necessarily mean his land, but his heart & his attitude as well.
3. Be with me
 He is asking for God's protection, strength, and sufficiency.
4. Keep me from evil
 He's in a situation where he could have hated everyone, but he didn't. He asked God to help him go through every temptations.

All those prayer only with one purpose, so that he will not cause pain. And God just granted what he asked for.

So, my question is: "Have you prayed like Jabez today? A Prayer that comes from the bottom of your heart."

Wisdom & Money

Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life. - Ecclesiastes 7 : 11 - 12

Isn't it great to have both wisdom and money at our disposal. It's just like King Solomon, the wisest man that has ever lived, and he's rich as well.

But look carefully, it's said to be benefits as we go through life. And those are definitely gifts, gifts from God. But, we can ask for them.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. ... - Matthew 7 : 7

Wow, what a great promise from God. And we can be sure that God will never go back on His Word. As long as we keep on asking, keep on praying, keep on seeking.

It was never wrong to have a hope to be a rich man. But bear in mind, it is wisdom that can save our lives, and not money. The verse above also said that it's better to have wisdom when we have money. With wisdom, everyone could manage their money better. With wisdom, everyone could be the next big thing in their work / business.

If you could manage your money better, what are the chances of you getting richer?
If you could solve problems in your workplace, what are the chances for promotion & increment?
If you could manage your business better, what are the chances that profit will increase?
Start thinking about it. Not to forget that everything are gifts.

~ Start asking for wisdom, then you will prosper ~

First Priority: ☐ Wealth ☑ Health

"Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears ..." ~ Proverbs 23 : 4 - 5

God of course wants us to get wealthy and prosperous (Deut 8 : 18). But remember, that's not the important thing in life that we should focus on. Because wealth will gone away easily.

Solomon reminds us that we should not wear ourselves out trying to get rich. It does not mean "Forget about getting rich!" We just need to control / balance our working and resting time.

It's just never worth it; paying for medical bills from our hard-earned money. Most of the time, we end up losing more.

What's better than keeping a good health? It's the best gift we could give to our family, not money, not new gadget, not new furniture. Everything else can be earned but not health. It is kept!

~ Everything in this world need money,

but without health no one can earned it. ~

The Power to Get Wealth

Deut 8 : 18
“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..."

Sometime we tend to forget when we are wealthy enough. That's why the first part of this verse tells us that we shall remember our God.
The second part teach us to not to use our own power in pursuing wealth, prosperity, success. It is given to us by God. So, put God in your plan.

Let's bring it up a bit.
"And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not" ~ Deut 8 : 2
Wilderness here teach us to hang on to God, to trust Him. How many of us can do that if we were put in wilderness? Not for even forty hours?
The Israelite shows us how tough it is to keep God commandment when they are in the wilderness. How many faithful man can be found within them through all those years. Yet some of them did make it through the promised land. By what? By faith!

When we are in wilderness of our life, the devil will come and tempt us.
Check out Mat 4 when Jesus is tempted. The devil attacks three different aspects of our life, just like he did to Jesus:
1. Daily needs
2. Mind
3. Instance

~ Remember to hang on & keep your faith! For nothing is too hard ~