The Lord is weaning the church off her dependency on
comfort, wealth, and self-sufficiency so that he can calibrate her for
overcoming in the days to come.
True wealth is found in one’s ability to trust in the
Lord. Faith is the currency of the
Kingdom. Many who believe they have
faith have never really been tested.
There simply is no other way to learn how to trust the Lord than to face,
in some capacity, the prospect of being without. It may be financial. It may relate to one’s abilities and talents. It may have to do with one’s acceptance among
peers or strangers.
A person can have a poverty spirit even if they own many
things or have lots of money. True
prosperity depends upon the disposition of a man concerning himself; when he
has some form of lack and no prospect of where he might receive help and yet
remains at peace, fully trusting that God is going to see him through.
The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to have abundance or
to be in need. He indicated that he had “learned
the secret” of entering into the state of contentedness regardless of his circumstances. In Philippians 4:12, when Paul speaks of “learning
the secret…” he uses a word that refers to the initiation process of entering
some kind of group or club. In other
words, He did not come by this insight strictly through revelation. Paul had to walk something out with the Lord
that initiated him into the mystery of contentedness. This is a supernatural grace that God
initiates His people into. There is no
free ride with this aspect of faith. You
just have to walk something out with the Lord.
There is no rule that says how long this initiation process
will take. Actually, once you learn it,
it does not necessarily mean that you will no longer face trials. It simply means that you will no longer be
shaken by those trials. It means that
you understand the drill and that you can walk it out with peace and
contentment. Overcoming a poverty spirit
is really about not needing to be coddled and comforted every step of the
way. It means that one has grown up, put
away childish things and gone on with God.
People who are excessively needy are loved by God, but they are not very
useful to Him.
So how does one learn contentment? What is involved in the initiation? Paul does not tell us everything that he went
through to get to this state but I can surmise out of some of my own
experiences of initiation that might prove helpful.
- It begins by not taking your hardships personally. Everybody has them. God is raising sons and that means tests are part of the process.
- Be assured of God’s love- he will never leave you nor forsake you.
- Practice thankfulness daily for all that you have.
- Learn how to be alone with yourself and God. This is a big one. Many people seek constant distractions in attempts to avoid facing their issues, needs or desires and especially God.
- Develop a sense of wholeness apart from any form of entertainment or public esteem.
- Renew your mind. Your mind/imagination is one of your greatest resources.
- Realize that true riches are an internal source of wealth.
God does not need to take everything away from you to teach
you this lesson. The fact is that
everyone at some point feels inadequate.
We feel insecure about who and what we are. These are the places
God wants to meet you and lead you to a new place of richness in Him. If you will trust Him, He will initiate you into the spiritual realm of abundance.
God wants to meet you and lead you to a new place of richness in Him. If you will trust Him, He will initiate you into the spiritual realm of abundance.
Once your inner man is settled in this place of security and
peace, the fear of lack will cease to exercise dominion over you. “He who
is of a merry heart, will have a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15
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