Wealth is an abundance of
valuable possessions or money; it is a plentiful supply of what we need, and
desire. It goes with affluence, riches, substance, luxury, well-being, etc. All
the promises of God to us here on earth are wrapped up in wealth and so, wealth
is our inheritance as Children of God and therefore, is interwoven with
Christianity. Over the years, many Christians have been living in falsehood,
with an attitude that is repulsive to wealth, just for a weak self defense. No
wonder, most of the celebrated scientists, entrepreneurs, leaders, celebrities,
etc are either non Christians or non dedicated Christians.
In the bible, we read
the account of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We saw how God blessed the works of
their hands and made them the envy of the heathens. We also read the account of
David and Solomon, chosen by God to become Kings in their time and how rich and
favoured they were. Noah was a righteous man and favoured by God, yet, he built
an ark that never sank during the event of a mighty flood. Bezalel was equipped
and called by God; He possessed the Spirit of God and is filled with wisdom and
knowledge in all manner of workmanship to design artistic works. (Exodus 35:
30-35). It was Prophet Nahum who saw the vision of motor cars we are driving
today (Nahum 2:4). The list can go on and on.
Bible made us to understand
that “The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). It is God
who gives power to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). It is written in James
1:17 that “every good gift and every perfect gift (which includes money) is
from above, and comes down from the father of lights (God) with whom there is
no variation or shadow of turning”. It pleases God when His children use their God-given
potentials to create wealth and manage it appropriately. What offends Him is
when we acquire wealth through evil means or spend money carelessly. Did God
not tell us that He will open the strong gates of heaven and rain down so many
blessings, that there will not be room enough for us to gather them? He did
promise us lots of blessings but only if we are willing and obedient (Isaiah
1:19).
When God said that His people
perish for lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6a) it is because He saw that we are so ignorant and
myopic. The same bible that said “The love of money is the root of all kinds of
evil” (1 Tim 6:10) also said, “Money answers all things” (Ecclesiastes 10:19). He
instructed us in Genesis to multiply, to subdue the earth and replenish it. But
we chose to fall for the deceit that separated riches from godliness and that
is why we are suffering.
God is searching for those who will make Him proud in all fields of
endeavour. God is in need of innovators who will invent and create new things
to His glory. He needs sons and daughters who will create jobs and use same to
evangelize for Him.
This is a wake up call for
Christians to sit up, discover who they are in Christ Jesus and use it to serve
God. God has set before us an open door that no man can shut (Rev. 3:8). We
need to key into God’s blessings of open doors by discovering our areas of
service and reaching out to achieve it. We need to work hard to multiply what
God has put in our hands. Let us not disappoint God like the wicked servant in
Jesus’ parable of talent who hid his money and gave same to his master on
return. Our God is a business man and He has invested much in us and expects
return. That is why the bible tells us that to whom much is given, much is
expected.
Christians should channel their
mindsets on how to create and transfer wealth. Man’s need is inexhaustible.
There are so many problems yet to be solved and we need to discover and solve
them, and by so doing, our God is glorified. To key into God’s open door
covenant of wealth creation and transfer, we are required to make sacrifices.
Nothing good comes easy. There are still many areas that are untapped and
genuine effort should be made to learn new skills, so as to fit into the new
areas and break new grounds.
Are you considering setting up
a business or getting employed first, to get paid? Consider and work on the
following:
Discover
yourself. What do I want to achieve? What can I do best or better and how can I
do or achieve that? Where is my service needed?
Do a
market survey, seek knowledge and raise capital; you can raise capital for your
dream business by doing those petty businesses that require little or no cash.
Plan
and execute, start with what you have.
Develop
yourself constantly; always upgrade your knowledge on the new trends.
Review
your location and announce your presence; make sure you are strategically
located.
Review
your budget from time to time; have a short, mid and long term budget.
Acquaint
yourself in financial management and learn how to cut your coat according to
your cloth.
Network
among your business colleagues; advertise your business using social and
electronic media, etc.
Work
with God, study your bible
Consult
experts when necessary
Study
your environment and be security and safety conscious
The time to act is now!
Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi
