The Spirit of Money (Wealth)

The Spirit of Money

So here's my dilemma...

Ever felt like money is a moving target... it comes into your account but then magically disappears.
Some seasons, there is a large windfall, a “little lottery win” you could say, and then the next season, it's only rained half as much and you did the same things, worked hard, completed the same tasks, but the result didn't match the previous tax return...

Better still, you thought, hey I have a windfall here, I'll put some of this to work, invest it, it's going along well, providing a return and then within 6 months, it's almost halved...it's locked up and you can't even get access to it.

Okay, throw in tithing, throw in sponsor kids and charities, throw in those pledges and commitments you made to God to build his church.... and now what...?

And then you read:
Matthew 6:
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[d] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Or
Luke 12:
 13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
   14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
   16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
   20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
   21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

But then you read:

3 John 1:2
Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers

Psalm 1

1 Blesssed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or sit in the seat fo mockers or stand in the way of sinners instead he meditates on the law day and night and is like a tree planted by streams of water which yield it's fruit in season, not so the wicked for they are blown like chaff.

Commit your ways to the lord, and you will have good success

Test me in this, try me, and see that I will open the windows of heaven that your barns will not be able to contain the abundance

The Devil comes to steal kill and destroy.... but I have come to give life and life in abundance..

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray.... I will restore their land.

  Proverbs 28: 20 The trustworthy person will get a rich reward,
      but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.

To my mind, if I try and look at it through the eyes of Jesus, here's what he's got to say and his character and actions say just as much:

He came to give – give his life
He didn't worry about tomorrow and what he had on his back
He was accountable to God
Whatever he did, he gave or did with 12 baskets too much
He warned of getting rich in place of God's kingdom like Proverbs 28:20
He never talked about a vow of poverty or doing without or doing it tough, rather he said that God's character is to provide us our physical needs beyond how the lillies are clothed.
He really knew that the pursuit of wealth at the expense of God was a powerful spiritual force.

In that case, the generation and maintainability of wealth needs the following:

1.Prayer: for ways to make it, grow it, maintain it, give it
2.Give – to a level that means I have to rely on God (Proverbs 30: 7-9)
3.Rebuke the enemy: Malachi 3 by giving and tithing
4.Continue to be faithful in all seasons of wealth