God’s Plan for Your Financial Prosperity—Part 2

In Part 1 of clarifying Biblical details about God’s Plan For Your Financial Prosperity, two main points were highlighted: First is the need to carve a niche for yourself in a particular line of production to deliver high-quality goods or services or both. The second point drew attention to the fact that every human being has multiple income-generating potential and God requires all people everywhere to maximize this potential for industrious living. There was also a clear attempt to disabuse the mind of readers from false doctrines which are peddled by some pastors who promise overnight financial prosperity in exchange for their hard-earned money.

In this part, we are going to consider a practical way to start on the lane of financial prosperity as set out in the Bible.  

Fruit Eater Vrs Seed Sower Mentality

Subsequent to blessing humanity, God charged them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over sea space, air space and land space (Genesis 1:28). However, the production function could not begin because something was lacking. There was no seed to sow to start the process. God had already planted everything before creating Adam and Eve so he showed them the secret to fruitfulness in the next verse: “And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food” (Genesis 1:29).

Take note of this phrase in the text: “Every tree whose fruit yields seed.” The text beginning with a call to “See!”. There is a saying that “Eyes that look are common but eyes that see are rare.” Perception determines the direction of action. One with a consumer mentality, that is, the fruit eater mindset will eat the fruit at hand and complain about not having anything to start out in business. But one with an investment mentality, that is, the seed sower mentality will delay his appetite for consuming the fruit and focus on producing more fruits with the seed in the fruit at hand over a period of time. It’s the seed sower mindset that will take you from fruitfulness to multiplication.

Financial independence is not an overnight achievement. Unless you have the patience of a farmer, to endure the period between sowing and reaping, you are not likely to achieve financial independence in your lifetime. Anything in your possession that has a financial value can be treated either as a fruit or a seed. Your salary, shoes, dresses, perfumes, mobile phone, iPad, television, radio and several other things in your possession could all be converted into a seed. In other words, instead on using them, you can sell them and turn the money around in other profitable ventures to gain more. It is a matter of choice. It is a matter of opportunity cost. One’s desire must be sacrificed for a more rewarding option.

Two years ago, a friend came to me in hopes of borrowing money from me to start a piggery because he had heard that others were making good returns in that business. He wanted $2,000 but he had bought a mobile phone worth $1,500 just the week before he came to me. When I made that discovery in our conversation, I advised him to sell the phone at $1,350 and invest the rest in the business. He didn’t find my counsel interesting at all. He went away very sad!

For me, it is absolutely senseless to be using a mobile phone worth $1,500 when you do not have any investment which is ten times that amount. Expenses of this nature should only be made with surpluses of one’s viable investments. Such a person does not deserve the assistance he was seeking. But a few days later, he called me and said he was able to get somebody to buy the phone for an amount of $1,400. That for me was a good deal and great news.

Initially, he had explained how impossible it was for him to live without an iPhone. I put a few leading questions to him to find out what gains he was making by keeping such a pricy phone. It appeared he was rather wasting more money on credits and data, making needless phone calls and watching unnecessary videos. He was blaming the government for his unemployment when he had everything he needed to start a viable business. Two years down the line, he has learned to shun a consumerist approach to life and diversified his investments. He is doing well now, as he has added farming and raring of other farm animals to the piggery.

The fruit eater or consumer mindset inspires an unhealthy desire to acquire the latest products on the market. There are people who go every length just to buy the latest phone on the market. Every year they change their phone and discard the one they had bought the previous year. The famous quote ascribed to Will Rogers comes in handy: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.”

Since fifteen years ago when I started motivational speaking and writing, I have come across so many people who think they cannot generate enough capital to start their dream businesses. Some genuinely do not have collateral to secure the amount they consider sufficient to pursue their objective. A lot of the times, people who are in a rush for huge amounts to land their dream business eventually fail and get into trouble with their creditors. The reason is that, they have not learned how to manage resources by starting with little.

Whatever you want to do by way of business, learn to start small with the bigger picture in perspective. Start locally with a global agenda. Let these words of commendation be a constant reminder of where God expects you to start from: “Because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17b). The challenge of raising the initial capital to start a particular project is a disincentive to so many who have great potential for business operation. However, a serious-minded person will be willing to start small, to gain field-tested experience in the process of growing his or her business from one level to another. 

How to Overcome a Fruit Eater Or Consumer Mentality

We cannot stop consuming completely. Our life depends on consumption. However, we can minimize our appetite for needless things. I have a good friend whose motto is: “Everything in moderation!” We at TOPVINCENT.COM promote the minimalist approach to smart living. You may check our blog for articles relating to that.

Monitor and Evaluate Your Expenditure Pattern

If you will be willing to take a cursory look at the things you have, you will realize that there are so many things you have wasted money on. You are most likely to find a lot of material things in your house which you bought in a haste but which you are either underutilizing or not using at all. There may be so many attractive wastes in your life. By attractive waste, I am referring to things you bought with money but which are of no real useful value to you.

In almost every home in Ghana, you are likely to find cooking utensils which were bought at high prices that have never been used and are not likely to be used in the lifetime of the one who bought them. Most Ghanaian women, especially, have huge bags loaded with expensive clothes they may never use in their lifetime.

An honest evaluation of your expenditure pattern may reveal how much financial value you may have stored by purchasing things you do not need on impulse. “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2).  

Convert Your Nuisance Items into Financial Value

While you may be crying for money, it may be the case that you have more than you need, invested in things you do not need. If you sell those things, you can start your life on a very solid financial footing. One of the best means of delivering oneself from the abnormal impulse to buy unnecessary things is to make an intentional effort to get rid of those things. It is a wiser option to sell out things you do not need at relatively lower prices than their original value than to keep them in irrelevance.

Monomaniacs and Oniomaniacs all tend to require the same drastic measures to reverse their wasteful financial habits. To be sure, Monomaniacs are people who have a pathological obsession with or excessive interest in a particular object. Oniomaniacs on the other hand, are obsessed with some particular items, usually, a variety of things. If you are suffering from this psychological malady, you will have to convince yourself that you can live without the things you are obsessed with. The best way to do that is to take them out of your presence.

Create A Personal Budget to Guide Your Expenditure 

Budgets are not meant for organizations alone. Any serious minded person who has not developed good financial habits can transition to a favourable spending pattern by planning. This can help you buy only things that you really need. It can also aid you to put financial windfalls to profitable use.

Disassociate from Spendthrifts

Those we allow into our inner circle influence our taste and preferences. You are likely to learn both the good and bad habits of those you associate with. 1Corinthians 15:33 admonishes, “Don’t let anyone fool you. Bad companions make a good person bad.” Sometimes, there cannot be any real change in your life, unless you take a leave of those you have been hanging around with who do not influence you positively.

Learn About Smart Living at Topvincent.Com

Breaking away from bad financial habits is not enough. You must understand current trends in investments and where to store your financial value. Learning from our blog will really help to do a lot of damage to your financial illiteracy or your disincentive to make useful financial decisions.

The ‘go to school and get a good job’ model of pursuing financial prosperity has been found to be ineffective. Whatever details you need regarding how to develop good financial habits abound at TOPVINCENT.COM. You will get valuable information about how to live smartly if you remain a constant reader and doer of the contents on our blog.

READ ALSO: God’s Plan for Your Financial Prosperity–Part 1