Hungry Hearts

A Bible Study of Men who Hunger for the Lord

​A bi-monthly group led by Gary Ott diving verse-by-verse into the Scripture. The Hungry Hearts digest God's truths, discuss the abundant Life found in the person of Christ, and reflect on the transformation of living by grace through faith. 

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FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE & THE WILL OF GOD

Father, we really do believe You are answering our prayers and fulfilling our dreams of financial independence.   Every person in the world would like to become financially independent, but the facts are only 3-5% of people in America (the land of opportunity) and less than 1 in a 1000 of the world’s population will ever experience it.  And then to eliminate those who made it illegally, as well as illicitly, means that, practically speaking, it’s near to impossible for anyone.  To imagine the billions of people who would say they would give just about anything just to have a shot at it and to know how few will ever make it is a sobering reality.

This thought makes me ask, What are some of the reasons why people don’t become financially independent?  Certainly,

1)     lack of opportunity due to government oppression,

2)   human handicaps, such as severe lack of mental or physical capacity

3)   choosing to pursue security rather than freedom as a governing philosophy, the two being mutually exclusive.  To pursue one you must sacrifice the other.  Most choose security, as for me, Lord, give me freedom!

4)   limiting themselves to linear income as the only way to make money, rather than engaging in investment income, royalty income, and most effectively, multiplex income.

5)     fear of failure, rejection and poverty, keeping them from risk-taking.

6)   lack of vision and written goals, without which You say “the people perish.

However, in light of You saying, “All things are possible to those who have faith” (You being the Giver, Author and finisher of faith) and “What is impossible for man is possible for God”, we must conclude that the overriding reason why people don’t experience financial freedom is Your Sovereign Will.

You don’t want everyone to be financially independent! 

And, in accordance with Your higher purposes for the human race, it would not be in everyone’s best interest. 

Certain ones, however, have been chosen by You to experience it and enter into a life of faith by believing in You to supernaturally make it happen!

Now, of those You have chosen to believe You for it, there are other factors which come into play that eliminate some of them from ever experiencing it.

A Christian can actually opt out by choosing to believe You don’t want them to be, so they won’t be.  A Christian can only achieve it if they believe they can and will by Your grace.  Believing You have willed it to be in their specific case is indispensable to actually achieving it.

          Entire theological belief systems have been developed through religious leaders to lead people to believe that poverty is more virtuous and God-honoring than wealth.  It’s one thing to believe that poverty, pain and suffering are included in Your plan for mankind and another altogether to believe You call everyone to poverty, pain and suffering as a perpetual state of being throughout their entire life on earth.  Nor do we have to adhere to the false doctrine of many in the Charismatic Movement that teach, if a Christian is right with God, living by faith, he will experience nothing but health, wealth and prosperity throughout his entire life on earth.  On the contrary, we are to believe that You, Lord, in Your sovereignty, choose to give certain of Your children financial independence for varying lengths of time during their life on earth and bless them, as well, with trials, tribulations and suffering at other times.