Desire to Succeed

Desire to Succeed

One would think that everyone wants to prosper, succeed and do well in life. Unfortunately this is not true. Certainly most people wouldn't mind a hand out or a check in the mail for any amount. However statistics show 44% of lottery winners spend their entire winnings within 5 years. Why? They got money, but there was no change of heart. Their mindset never changed.

I talk to people for a living. Both in my "J.O.B." and in my other work efforts. I'm always amazed at the mix of people I talk to. There are actually very few that let me help them. Almost 98% could use my help. I would say less than 25% actually let me help. I'll take responsibility for some of that. Maybe I didn't help them understand by fully explaining my background, experience, and ability to help them. I didn't fully explain the reason I asked so many questions, which is that I want to make sure I'm fully accessing my years of experience and putting forth valuable suggestions that could forever alter the course and direction of their financial life, or at the very least enhance or clarify their financial life in some way.

It's rare that there is NOTHING I can do to help someone's finances. On the few occasions that there is nothing I can do it's usually because they have done such a great job planning or I just didn't ask enough questions because I'm human and I'm not always fully engaged in the conversation either. Most people that I can't help either fall into one or both of these two groups: Lack of Knowledge or Lack of Desire. 

Knowledge

Here's the thing. The vast majority of people I talk to I COULD help, but they don't want my help. Sometimes it's because they think they already know. They are calling with an agenda, asking questions trying to sound tough (when really their attitude is more from a fear of looking like they don't know what they're doing.). They brush me off and say things like: "Yeah Yeah Yeah... I know..." These all fall into the class of lacking knowledge. They may either lack knowledge and know it, or sometimes they don't know it.
Actually lack of knowledge isn't the hardest thing to overcome. Knowledge is readily available online for free to those who will take the time to search it out. I can direct them in many cases to great resources. With enough questions I can sometimes overcome their fear and lack of knowledge and ease their concerns and get them moving in the right direction.

Desire

Some people though... these are the ones that really bug me... they simply don't WANT to succeed in life. They may half heartedly wish to. They wouldn't mind a handout or lottery win. But they don't actually have any intention on prospering. Some people have been beat down for so long, either by life or people or both, that they have lost any will to do better. They have no hope.

I once knew a homeless man who had a background in ministry before falling into sin and going to jail. He had just been released. He told me that I would not be homeless myself very long, because I had what no-one else in the shelter had. "Hope". He told me that when I started ministering to these people that my biggest job would be to build their hope. Once Hope is birthed into a soul, and nurtured into a flame, all other keys to success begin to come more naturally to them. I talk to people who fall into one of three categories. 

1. Religious.There are a few people left out there who are still drinking Satan's cool-aid which confuses them into thinking that money is somehow evil or wrong to have. They have this twisted idea that being poor is a good thing or helps you stay humble. 
2. Next Beer Folks. They don't have any desire once so ever, other than to make it to their next day off, or even off their current shift, and make it home to a beer and TV. This isn't reserved for "Alcoholics" either. This is a whole class of people who just want the next small pleasure and have no desire or idea that they could have more, and wouldn't want to put the work into doing more if they did know they could. 
3. Just Enough Crowd. This is the worst crowd, often mixed in with the Religious crowd, but not always. This group says that they don't want to have "too much". They want "Just enough for me and mine". They have a little in savings and they're dong OK. They have no plans or desire to do bigger and better. They are satisfied with their little more than enough. This crowd often says that they have every intention of being exactly where they are next year and in five years. Status Quo. Don't rock the boat. 

Selfish

The bible is clear. We should be wealthy. The biggest reason is that God has work to do on this planet and we are the ones who He will do it through. It is through His children that He establishes His covenant on and in this earth. All three of the reasons listed above come down to selfishness. Focus on one's self and not taking into account the bigger picture. 


This is most true with the "just enough" excuse. What do you mean you want just enough for you and yours? You don't want to take "too much"? Too much what? You've taken too much when there is no-one on this planet that could use any more money or assistance. God gave this planet the ability to produce for anyone that would work it. Inventions, witty ideas, and more come to those who follow God's path.

What about the Strangers, Orphans, and Widows? You don't want to help them? What about your Pastor, Missionaries, Bibles that need to be taken around the world, people in prison who need to hear about Jesus... what about all the things God wants to do but no-one will believe God to get rich enough to fund them.

I personally believe that everyone who made excuses for not wanting too much will stand on judgment day accused of starving God's work. Here are just a few thoughts from the Word on Wealth:

Proverbs 13:22

22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

2 Corinthians 9

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.


Deuteronomy 8:18

18 And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Deuteronomy 28

1 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: 3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country


1 Timothy 6:17

17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Generosity

The whole point in our prosperity is for us to be so prosperous that we don't even think about our needs, wants, or desires... We are then so wrapped up in giving to others, benefiting others, and creating situations that empower others to prosper we forgot to think about ourselves entirely.

In his book "No More Monday's" Dan Miller makes a profound statement on this subject. He says that he has known the richest and poorest people in this country. He finds that the rich hardly ever talk about their money. Often they live in modest homes or lifestyles. They are average in appearance. The poor and broke, however, ALWAYS talk about money. They talk their lack of money all the time. They have money and their lack of it on the mind 24-7.

Matthew 6:24/Luke16:13

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

These poor people are serving money when money should be serving them. Thus they are unable to do all the things God has called them to do. You may not be called to preach, teach, write, or go on missions trips. But you are called to do something with your talents and abilities and giftings that benefit this world and bring people to God. If you are worried about money, you are hindered from doing that!

1 Timothy 6:10

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It's the poor, and those who are poor in mind, that are most guilty of the Love of Money. They talk about it all the time, they talk about their lack of it. They are the ones falling for "Get rich quick" schemes. Rich people, by and in large, don't do these things because they took the time to understand wealth, how to get it, keep it, grow it, use it... and they worked diligently to make these things work for them.

This is why socialism is so wrong. It's based on the premise that you can do nothing, or less, and still get the same reward as the one who worked harder than you. That is evil a twisted. God gives you things based on Jesus sacrifice. So in that sense He gives you things you don't deserve every day! But God is NOT interested in taking others hard work and giving it to you for nothing.

Lottery winners that spend their money did so because they had no idea what to do with it. They were focused on self. Had they been focused on what God wanted them to do they would have channeled that wealth into a regenerating income that would grow rather than shrink. This would have been a channel for great Kingdom use. Jesus told this to a rich young ruler, but he didn't wait around to hear the whole story. Had he stuck around he would have seen that Jesus wanted to get him off the world's system of wealth and transfer him to God's system of wealth. It's a different system with different principles.

Mark 10:17-30

17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' " 20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." 28 Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." 29 So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life.

HOPE

How does one get hope? Where did my hope come from? It comes from the Word. Hope can't be taught or forced on someone. You cannot force someone to desire a better life. Hope can be caught, but not taught. You must see it's available, catch a glimmer from someone, and then cultivate it as a seed. 

That's why desire is harder to work with that knowledge. I can teach you things to do. But if you are not wanting to do better, I can't help you. You have to want to have a better life. Really want it. You may not have a firm expectation yet... but if you have even a glimmer of desire to have better I can work with that. We can fan that flame, through meditation on the Word of God and Preaching from anointed ministers and reading after successful people... It can burn brighter and brighter until you are more convinced on the inside that your days of lack are over than you are of anything you see on the outside.

That is the day things change. Nothing may have changed on the outside. But when you are convinced beyond any shadow of any doubt that God WANTS you prosperous and successful... there is nothing that will take you off it... Change has started, better is coming. It may come quick, it may come slow. Some of that will depend on your action. If you slip back into old habits of doing or thinking it may delay your prosperity... but that's ok... repent (change your mindset) and pick it back up again.

"There"

I'm not "There" yet either... I don't know if I'll ever be "There" really. Where is "There". The moment I set a realistic impossible goal and acheive it, God will have me setting new ones. Million becomes Billion becomes earth shattering... there is always a new level... Don't feel bad because you are not "There" yet.

Find your grove and go with it. Pick up where you are and work it. Better that Jesus comes back and finds you working the plan He gave you on your way to acheiving... then sitting around lamenting the fact you aren't where you thought you were supposed to be.

I call you empowered 2 prosper with good success!


Darrell G. Wolfe
http://n2gs.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/n2goodsuccess

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