John 6:12 “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”
There are three main areas that begin to change in our lives when we begin to exercise our faith in God’s provision for our lives. The first area that begins to change is that we start becoming more balanced in our lifestyles. The second area that begins to change is that we start to become more liberal in our giving. The third area that begins to change is that we start becoming more industrious in the ways we earn money. And so in this section we want to discuss the fact that our lifestyles become more balanced. So what do I mean by that statement? We start to become more responsible and less wasteful of the resources that the Lord gives us. We become more content with that which we have and less covetous of the things which we do not have. We also become more diligent in our work ethic. A key factor to walking in godly prosperity is to become more responsible and less wasteful in our handling of our finances. The above quoted passage of scripture gives us a bit of insight into our Lord’s attitude regarding wastefulness. For when He fed the multitudes He would not allow anything to go to waste. When God begins to change our attitudes we too will have the same outlook on life that our Lord Jesus has, and we will cut back on wastefulness in our lives. You will be surprised just how much can be saved when you look at your handling of finances in this manner.
1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; (11) that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, (12) that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”
As already mentioned, we start becoming content with that which the Lord has blessed us with. In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit instructs the believer to aspire to lead a quiet life. So what does that mean? One who leads a quiet life is content with what they have and is not striving to get more. The Holy Spirit goes on to say that believers should work with their own hands so that they may lack nothing. And so we see that when believers begin to apply themselves in whatever work the Lord has given them to do, and they begin to live a quiet life, content with that which they have, they will very soon find that they will lack for nothing.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (11) For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. (12) Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”
Another aspect of a balanced lifestyle is that the saint’s work ethic begins to change. Laziness is not condoned in the kingdom of God, for the scripture states that one who is slothful in their work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer (Proverbs 18:9). When we begin to exercise our faith in God’s prosperity for our lives, then we will find that we will begin to apply ourselves in our work that much more diligently, for the scripture says that he who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich (Proverbs 10:4). In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit says that the believer who will not work shall not eat. In other words the church is instructed not to help those individuals. If God instructs the church not to help those individuals, then neither is God going to help them. However, the scripture does not say that those who “cannot” work shall not eat, for there are those who have no employment but are actively seeking employment. In those instances the church must help those in need, and at the same time God will help them to find employment as they put their trust in Him.
Ephesians 4:28 “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit again teaches us that as believers, we are to work with our own hands and that when we do, we will find that we have excess to give to those in need. In all of the above passages of scripture the Holy Spirit emphasizes to the believer that they need to be working. God would not instruct His church to do something that they cannot do. And so believers that do not have employment can ask God to provide them with a job and fully expect that God will do just that. For as we have seen, it is God’s will that His children have employment, so that they can eat their own bread, lack nothing, and have excess to give to those who are in need.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. (7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (9) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
We have already seen that the Holy Spirit encourages the believers to aspire to live quiet lives, and we said that one who leads a quiet life will be content with what they have and will not be striving to get more. The above quoted passage of scripture reinforces this truth to us, for the Holy Spirit teaches us that godliness with contentment is great gain. When believers begin to exercise their faith in God’s prosperity they will find that their level of contentment with what they have will begin to rise, and their level of desire for that which they don’t have will begin to fall away. The reason that many believers get themselves into financial difficulties, is because they allow themselves to be tempted to want more than they need i.e. they strive to gratify their fleshly desires. Nevertheless, when God’s word begins to take effect in our lives, we find that half of what we thought we needed, we didn’t need at all. And so God brings a balance to our lives, where spiritual things become more important than material things. Now that doesn’t mean that God no longer adds material blessings to our lives, for He does. It’s just that, unlike those who strive after riches and so pierce themselves through with many sorrows, when God adds riches to us He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22).
Ephesians 6:5-8 “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; (6) not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (7) with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, (8) knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”
1 Timothy 6:1-2 “Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. (2) And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.”
On numerous occasions in the New Testament the Holy Spirit counsels the saints to apply themselves in their work, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ. I have quoted just two of those scriptures above, but there are many others. And so we see that if we are going to experience the blessing of God in our work environment, then we must apply ourselves in our work as those who work for the Lord. This is one of the areas where God changes our attitudes, for when we begin to apply ourselves in our work as working for the Lord, then we will find that the quality of our work will become more excellent, and we will find that God enables us to become more productive. Through all of this, God is then able to give us favour with our employers, and we will find that promotions and above average salary increases start coming our way. You will recall that we saw earlier how God gave Joseph favour with his employers, which resulted in him being promoted. But nevertheless, in all things we work as unto the Lord and not to receive promotions and increases, for that we leave in the hands of the Lord. I want you to also notice that the Lord admonishes us to serve both believing and unbelieving employers equally, for in both instances we are working for the Lord.
Ephesians 6:9 “And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”
Colossians 4:1 “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”
As we can see in the above quoted passages of scripture, just as the Holy Spirit counsel’s employees to do their work as unto the Lord, so He also counsel’s those who are employers to treat their staff justly and fairly, for obviously, those who do so can expect the Lord to bless them by making their staff more productive. But again, just as with employees, employers are to do all things as unto the Lord, not to be blessed, for that we leave in the hands of the Lord.
Michael E.B. Maher