Financial Struggles in the Body of Christ

IF YOU WOULD RATHER HEAR MESSAGE… SCROLL TO VIDEO ON BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE..

I want to tell a quick testimony that’s not mine.. a testimony of THE WEALTHIEST most SUCCESSFUL people I know… so much so that I used put these people on a pedestal with vision of what I wanted to accomplish and achieve someday. In their money and success, they were never bored. They were always doing things (fun vacations and buying new toys)… they were HIGHLY RESPECTED by everyone who knew them, yet they were never happy. I remember talking to them about their problems and fast-paced stressful lives at times and feeling bitter, thinking to myself, “you think you have issues, come live a day in my life”… as Josh and I were younger in our careers and with two children, struggling just to keep up with bills, let alone putting anything away in savings.

So recently, these highly successful, wealthy friends of mine entered a season of great struggle, financially. They lost pretty much everything and while they aren’t homeless, they are greatly burdened by financial struggle, (something they never faced in the past). Yet, as their outward circumstances have been hard, I’ve also witnessed an amazing internal change in them both.  So the other day I heard the words of one of them that went something like this, “I wish I’d known the TRUTH years ago. I’d have lived so differently.” I just immediately could see the testimony of Solomon – the wealthiest man to ever live. After he accomplished and conquered basically everything that could be gained here on earth he said, “It’s all vanity”… ITS MEANINGLESS! Can financial struggle be a blessing? I mean, it certainly doesn’t feel like one but would God give us a struggle in our circumstances and NOT answer our prayers to fix our problems because HIS DESIRE IS TO FIX US? We see problems as mountains, speaking Jesus over our circumstances quoting scriptures like “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”…. Is a mountain a financial problem? How’s this for context, the disciples were asking Jesus why they couldn’t drive out a demon when Jesus gave that reply… calling the task at hand “a mountain”… a demon.  My gosh I’ve prayed that prayer over my “circumstances so many times” wondering why God isn’t answering me.  What is the Lord’s intention in us? I’m seeing that it’s never changed from the beginning. He wants a people for Himself – a people that LOVE HIM, that LOVE THE CREATOR, not his creation.

The Lord thought so little of our problems that we allow to become gods over our minds, He said STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! Jesus said this, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” He followed by that saying that if we seek the Kingdom first, God will take care of our needs – not our wants and foolish desires to create heaven on earth in a fallen kingdom given to the enemy for the sake of tempting us but the Kingdom of God (the dwelling place within us that births ETERNAL LIFE if Jesus be in us).

I know what these people listened to that led them to saying “I wish I knew then what I know now” because I heard the same message. And it’s amazing WHY Jesus referenced FAITH as a grain of mustard seed, and WHY the disciples didn’t have it. Because it had not been given yet. When Jesus went to the Father, then the SPIRIT OF GOD was sent down to his disciples – at Pentecost they were possessed by the Spirit of GOD planted inside of them. They didn’t have the seed before this moment. That’s why the book of Hebrews says the great men of faith in the Old Testament (the ones who’d received promises, riches, and so much more in the FLESH), had not received THE PROMISE. They got riches and fame and so much stuff but Paul said in Hebrews, GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR US. It’s Jesus. It’s always been leading to Him and HE is all that was before and comes afterward (The alpha and the omega), HE IS THE PROMISE and HE IS the MUSTARD SEED that dwells in the KINGDOM GOD IS BUILDING inside of a people for Himself.. a people that LOVE HIM, not his stuff… not outside of us.. not in our homes or our bank accounts or even our families or in anything else that moths can eat…

The seed of life is JESUS… and the harvest are the PEOPLE WHO CARRY THE SEED THAT HE HAS PLANTED… the only Gift I hope to ever want for or strive to receive is more of HIM because HE IS LIFE… this stuff here is not eternal and as Solomon said.. it’s all vanity… meaningless… pointless…

I’m not sharing this to say anything negative about money, if you have lots of it that’s great..   I’ve had lots of it.. and I now have little.  If you’re in financial struggle PLEASE KNOW I’M NOT MINIMIZING YOUR SITUATION and I promise you I’m in the boat facing the storm with you as I type this today.   But I hope this can encourage you the way that I’m asking the Lord to encourage my own heart with this message – whether I have plenty or rather I have little, when God’s done using my circumstances to complete a work in me, I have faith that it won’t matter either way… because I will have the ONE THING that’s unshakable and unchangeable.. The one thing He’s coming back for…  HIMSELF…  and only the fruits of HIS SEED that HE planted inside of A PEOPLE that HE shapes and molds and waters and increases as we surrendered ourselves to HIM… that’s the only thing that will remain.

Father thank you for the INNER KINGDOM OF YOU – the promise that the great men of faith didn’t receive but you offer to us as an invitation to receive YOUR SON CHRIST!  Father please forgive me for focusing my heart’s desires on the stuff you made, instead of the PERSON YOU GAVE – JESUS.  Please help me to seek JESUS with all my heart each day of everyday and please increase the BREAD OF LIFE (My daily bread) on this day and everyday forward until there’s nothing left of me and only HE remains in me.

In Jesus’ name, amen.