 |
Show Me the Moneyby John Powers |
If you ever saw the movie Jerry McGuire, you know one of the best lines that has been mimicked by thousands over the years is when Cuba Gooding Jr. kept saying over and over to Tom Cruise, “Show me the Money!” Now, bear with me as I unfold the purpose of the title for this blog. Why did Cuba Gooding Jr. keep saying show me the money? It was because it took money to seal the deal. Until that is done, there is no deal, and it's only empty words. He was depending on a man to put his money where his mouth is. Otherwise it's all talk. Cuba portrayed a talented football player who was paid based on his performance, and there were others with just as much talent who were being scouted. It's a highly competitive field, and only the best of the best get the contracts. It's the same in so many professions all over the world. The world system is based on how well you perform, and it's this kind of structure that produces the proper climate to breed the spirit of competition. This is not to say that it can't be done correctly with strong Christian men and women leaders; it's just not the norm.
Now put money and extreme measures of competition or performance together, and you have the spirit of mammon show up. Once this begins to breed, making money is no longer scripturally sound. It moves into the dark realm of the love of money which you know is the root of all evil. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6;24: “No one can be a slave or serve two masters since either he will hate one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other.” You cannot be slaves and serve God and Mammon.
They are both spirits. God is a Spirit, and He is the Spirit of Love and eternal Life. Mammon is a spirit, and he is the spirit of hate and eternal death.
Now, here's the direction I'm taking on this, and I want you to be transparent and totally honest about this. It's just you reading the words, so reflect on what I am about to present to you. When it comes to giving the tithe and offerings, especially big offerings that are presented to you, do you despise this when it is being asked of you? Do you hate it when the pastor asks for money for a good cause, and you want to hold on even tighter to your money? Do you have a negative attitude when anyone in the five-fold ministry (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) is asking? If you do, use this scripture as you litmus test. You are obviously devoted to money, and you love money more than God.
Now, this is the time to be quiet and be real about this and not to be upset and click out of this site. Everything belongs to God – even your money. This why it is mentioned so many times in the Bible. God said in Matthew 6:33: “If you seek Him first and His righteousness that all things would be added unto you.” It's all the things in life that we are enslaved to and the one whom you trust the most with your money is you and not God. Who do you think is the better financial planner?
Now, I know this has really angered some readers, and you may never want to read these blogs again. Sadly, if that is the case, you are enslaved to money more than you realize. You don't have the mind of Christ on this matter. The way to break free is to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Ask Him to work on developing a cheerful heart that will cause you to seek His face and not His hand. Pray for Him to change your heart and change your focus, so that you seek His ways and not your own to provide.
The truth will set your flesh on fire when you have a character flaw because it wants to consume all of that carnal thinking. So at some point in our Christian walk, all of us who truly want to follow Christ and be disciples who worship God in Spirit and Truth will have to surrender all to Jesus. You can never out give Jesus. Never. It can be a very difficult thing to overcome. Our society raises us to worship money from the ads placed on TV, the glorification of athletic prowess or extreme beauty, to a success at all costs mentality. The more that it has been sown into your life (by yourself, your boss, your parents, etc.), the deeper the roots in your spirit, and the greater the struggle to see the truth.
The Lord wanted me to write this blog not to condemn you, but rather to bless you so you can be set free. When you invest into rich Kingdom soil, this is how God will supernaturally supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:16). I see so many people miss out on golden opportunities because they fail to plant in the right places at the right time, and consequently, they continue to have crop failures. If you want God to show you the money, or any blessings that come from above in a big way, then serve God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. Your life with Him is not based on performance or a competitive spirit, it is relational. Just you, one on one with God. With God, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play in your game of life. He doesn’t look at outcomes; He looks for obedience. He doesn’t keep score, and He doesn’t base your value on the earthly wealth and titles that you have amassed. So, what seeds are you going to sow today?