Finances

Exposing The Five Fallacies About The Purposes of Money
This material appears courtesy of Os Hillman

Fallacy # 2: My money measures my success
(1 Timothy 6:17)   God clearly says that He hates pride. He warns us (Proverbs 16:18)

As a business owner I became proud in heart. I expected others to perform at a certain level and if they didn't I felt it reflected poorly on me. This pride of life was often reflected in my bank balance. However, it was all on a subconscious level, so that we really don't recognize it as a problem. Others may not easily see it either. That is why it is so easy to fall prey to this sin. We are constantly bombarded with messages about the next investment, retirement years, return on investment, etc. Our society drives us to focus our attention on equating success with money. Jesus never equated success with money. In fact, He cautioned us against the dangers that money created.

(Deuteronomy 8:11-20 emphasis mine)   This passage is a very strong reminder as to who is the source of our financial blessings. If we fall into sin in our use of money, God has committed Himself to reproofing us for our benefit. This can be a painful process that can be avoided.

God tells us: (Proverbs 1:23-33).

Dr. Charles Stanley cites in his book, Adversity, "God's discipline or reproof will often correlate directly to the sin we commit. When Paul wrote, "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7 emphasis mine), this verse indicates a relationship between what we sow and what we reap. What we do and the consequences of those actions have a direct correlation." If we fall into financial greed, God may actually judge that sin through a financial calamity. "Some Christian women cannot have children today because they abused their bodies through drug and alcohol abuse or through an immoral lifestyle involving several sexual partners when they were younger. This is the discipline of God. Some Christian men and women have been caught in adultery and have lost their families and careers as a result. This, too, is the discipline of God. When a Christian businessman is caught stealing money from his company and loses his job and reputation, this is the discipline of God."

"Jonah tried to run from God, and God stopped him from running. Israel was not faithful to God in the land He gave them, so He disciplined them by taking them out of the land He gave them. David destroyed Bathsheba's family through his treachery and adultery. God destroyed his family through the treachery of his son, Absalom." Adversity, Charles Stanley, p. 98 . Even Jacob received the same punishment that he was guilty. When he manipulated Esau for Jacob's birthright, he eventually was the source of a manipulative scheme by his uncle, Laban. He desperately wanted to marry Rachel. Laban required Jacob to work seven years only to trick him into lying with Leah, his oldest daughter on his wedding night. He made him work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob received the same punishment for his trickery. The sad part of this is that Jacob never would have had to trick Esau for his birthright; God had already told his mother that He was going to get it. If you are having financial or relationship difficulties you may want to examine several areas to determine if God is reproving you in an effort to get your attention. Here are a few symptoms that could be showing up as God's reproof toward you or a stronghold may be the root cause that display these symptoms:

Suicide thoughts.

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