This morning we continue our series entitled “Leveling Up with the Word!” We have been looking at the parable of the sower. Let’s get back to it today.
Setting the stage:
Jesus said:
(Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only for a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.”
In Friday’s message, I focused on the words “the love of money.” I will flow in that same vein today. Let’s get into it.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Don’t make “becoming rich” your underlying motivation in life.
Jesus made it clear that if you develop a “love” for money, your misplaced love will become a weed in your heart. This weed will compete with and ultimately choke out the Word in your heart and keep it from working. You will basically sabotage yourself because you chose to develop a love for something God wants you to see as a tool.
Money makes an excellent servant but a poor master. If you serve money, instead of serving God, you will ruin the ONE LIFE you get.
Since we are talking about money, I believe we should get counsel from those who have experience with it. Solomon was the richest man in the world in his day. Think of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk today, but times 10! The best part is that the Lord made him rich. Let’s learn something from Solomon.
(Proverbs 23:4,5 NLT)
4 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.
5 In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
— The issue with God is never whether or not you can have money. God has made countless people rich. It only becomes an issue when “money has you!”
— You should never allow money to become your underlying motivation in life. I personally know people (a few in my family) who are entirely motivated by the accumulation of money. Some have ruined their marriages, their relationships with their children, and even their health over the pursuit of the “almighty dollar.”
— Once money becomes your motivation, the soil of your heart is no longer conducive to the growing of God’s seed (His Word).
2. Chasing money can become a trap!
The Apostle Paul said,
(1 Timothy 6:9 ERV)
People who want to be rich bring temptations to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them. These things ruin and destroy people.
— It all comes down to your intent. In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains how God sows His Word down in your heart. Jesus then says that the “love” of money can become a weed that competes with the seed of the Word. Notice how both are growing in your heart. If you allow the “love” of money to grow in your heart, this weed will stop God’s seed (His Word). It’s really that simple.
— There is nothing wrong with money. God uses money to advance His Kingdom on this planet. The issue is the LOVE of money. It comes down to having a wrong relationship with money. It comes down to the motivation of your heart.
— Solomon taught us not to wear ourselves out attempting to get rich. It’s not worth it. Paul told us that it’s a trap. The bottom line is that you can ruin your life by chasing money instead of chasing God.
— To Be clear, there is nothing wrong with being rich or even working to be rich, just as long as the pursuit of money is no the object of your heart. Some have developed a lust and thirst for money in their hearts to the point where the almighty dollar has actually become their god.
— Rest in your divine assignment so you can avoid the trap. When you get to the point where you are at peace with the plans God made for you before the world began, it is then and only then that you can experience true prosperity. What God has to offer is bigger than money, and the good news is that it does not exclude it. If you live your life God’s way you can still be prosperous financially, but more importantly, you will also have a healthy body, a sound mind, a close-knit family, the satisfaction of knowing you are walking in your divine purpose. When you get to this point, you will have a Godly understanding of true success. Success in God cannot be measured in money. It is measured in purpose!
3. Don’t pursue money, pursue God and His purpose, and everything else will pursue you!
(Matthew 6:31-34 ERV)
31 “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.
33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.
34 So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.
— If your life is full of worry concerning the things of this world (the things money can buy), then Jesus tells you that you are no different from the people who don’t know God. People who are not Born-Again worry about what they will eat, what they will drink, and what they will wear. They worry about where their next meal will come from. But Jesus teaches us that if we love God, we should never worry about these things. Our hearts must be free from worry, and our intentions must remain pure. When we live this way, God will never let us down.
— When you show God that He is your Lord, that you are submitted to Him in all your ways, and that you are relying on Him for everything, He will never let you down. And guess what? When you honor Him with your finances, you will never run out of money. Since money is not your master, God will see to it that money is your servant.
— The goal is to keep a Godly perspective when it comes to money. Money should never be your #1 pursuit. Pursue God, don’t pursue things, and before you know it things will be pursuing you.
This is one of the ways we will LEVEL UP this year!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of LEVELING UP for me! I LEVEL UP by bringing my life into focus and by making You my #1 priority. I thank You for a healthy perspective concerning money. I can have money because money does not have me. I know money makes an excellent servant but a poor master. I declare that money is NOT my master. You are! I seek You with my whole heart. As I do, I experience the success in life You planned for me before the world began. I rest in Your plans and Your provision. I pursue You, not things, and as a result, things wind up pursuing me! With the proper motivation, I get to experience Your best without getting frustrated, disillusioned, or burned out! GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
