THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLES OF MONEY

Principle Number Nine

Striking a balance Part 1

Pastor Maselo Mosomane

Am I suggesting that you should be inconsiderate and careless? Am I saying; fortune favours the brave? Is this what I am suggesting? God forbid. There are some precautionary measures to observe. Jesus said; “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14: 28 – 30.

I know there are going to be some people who, after reading this book, will be so inspired that they will make the same mistake believers in Thessalonica made. We are not bringing this message to you to plunge blindly into the sea of life without considering the depth and the distance across.

Paul preached to Thessalonians believers and encouraged them to trust God for their everyday needs. They received the message with ready hearts and wanted to act on it immediately. They understood him to be saying; “now that you are saved it is no longer important to work.” “You belong to God and you are people of faith. God will take care of you. Be careless and God will be careful. Just get saved and everything will be taken care of.”

Is it true that we can only serve God better when we are unemployed? Is it true that work hinders us from serving God? Do we sin when we work? Heaven help us!

There will always be people who hear what you are not saying in every audience. It doesn’t matter how sincere and explicit you are. People come to listen to you or read a book with preconceived ideas and are just seeking confirmation. Once they hear something that sound familiar to what they have in their minds, they switch off on you and start toying around with half what you’ve just said. When they get hurt they blame it on you.

This is why it is vital to keep it simple every time you communicate the gospel for the preaching of the gospel requires an enormous amount of responsibility on the side of the preacher. We are warned: “Brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. All of us often make mistakes.” James 3: 1-2b. (Good News Bible - Today’s English Version) We are going to be held responsible for every casualty we cause through our tongues as we attempt to teach others.

The Christians at Thessalonica went out to resign the next morning. Paul had to write another letter and have it delivered speedily. These were the contents of the letter; “for even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all…” 2 Thessalonians 3: 10–11.

Here is something very important to understand. Much as it is God’s will that all should be saved, some will still not be saved. Much as it is God’s will for us to be on our own and run our own businesses like our father Abraham; (our spiritual father from whom all Christians should take example) some will still have to be employed. Not all of us will be in business. It is the wish of every government that all its citizens should receive elementary education, yet some are still illiterate.

Much as it is the will of God that people should be on their own, some are just not ready. They haven’t learned to take care of themselves. I urge you to be honest with yourself; if you are not ready, admit it for it is dangerous to pretend when you pretty know that it is not within your system to go that route.

My advice to you is to find a job and learn while you are working. This is serious stuff. Your children may have to go hungry before you come to your senses. I know you are inspired but be man enough to admit and pick it up from there. The rest will speak for itself. This calls for wisdom.

I know you might have heard some people in Christian circles saying: “I don’t work; I live by faith!” This is a common statement especially in the charismatic movement. Yes; it is true, God says; “…the just shall live by faith.” Look at Habakkuk 2: 4 and also as it is quoted in Romans 1: 17, Galatians 3: 11 and Hebrews 10: 38. The Word of God clearly says “the just…” Listen to the Amplified version of Habakkuk 2: 4: “Look at the proud: his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.”

Lord, help us for this is not an ordinary statement as it is made to be by those who think that faith is an escape route from the reality and responsibility. In fact for those who are taken up by this bible truth; be warned that faith is not a short cut but a long cut that, in due time produces never-ending results. If you wish to live by faith, it should not be because it sounds to be an easy way to solve your problems for it is not. Faith is not a quick fix plan. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10: 36. The life of faith calls for hard work in the will of God and patience which; even faith cannot replace. One who wishes to live by faith must first do the will of God, wait with patience and then, only then shall he receive the promise. As you wait, remember that God’s time is not like your time. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2Peter 3: 8.

What surprises me is that, such people who claim to be “living by faith” are not willing to do the will of God. They want God’s promises but not the God who promises – they want gifts and not the Giver. How ridiculous! Beloved, God’s promise is a package. It has a condition and a reward, an instruction and the recompense of reward. You’ve got your part and God has His. The rules of the game are; play your part and God will honour His promises in the word. Take it or leave it.

Listen to what the Amplified version of Habakkuk 2:4 says; you’ve got to be rigidly just and uncompromisingly righteous. This kind of character develops over a period of dedicated time.

You don’t just wake up the next morning and say I will not have to work; I will live by faith. If you cannot live by faith with your job right now, how do you suppose you will live by faith without one? If you are starving with a job, what do you think will happen to you without one? I’ll tell you what you ought to do. Keep your job and learn to live by faith while you are there. Start exercising faith for an increase, a promotion. How about good relationships by faith or a better job, if need be? How about this; exercising your faith never to be late again? Will this not be a better place to starting?

So many times Christians just throw in a resignation letter and say I’m going to live by faith. Who said living by faith demands that you should quit your job? Who said you cannot live by faith on the job? Who said living by faith is synonymous to unemployment? Where did we get all these lies? This is one of the tricks of the devil to keep Christians poor and miserable. How long will we be taken for a ride by the devil? When are we going to learn and be wise? Like Paul, I would rather live by faith with a job than bring shame to the Word of God by being a spiritual hobo. Hobos are not sure of their next meal. Think about this. No! We are born again that we may “…shew forth the praises of him who hath called (us) out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1Peter 2:9) Say to yourself I’M NOT A SPIRITUAL HOBO. I AM A RESPONSIBLE CHILD OF GOD.