March 14, 2007

Rich Dad Poor Dad And Rich Church Poor Church Connection…

The Church's Equivelent of Rich Dad Poor Dad

And, if you don't know what I'm talking about, head over to Amazon.com and check it out, it's a great book.

First of all, I have to say that I wrote this blog post back in 2006 and never felt it was the right time to post it. Today it feels right so be blessed…

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I've been working on my next project for adding some more content to the Women of Influence website, including what will be a subscription membership website, which will be aimed at the entrepreneurial woman as well as the women who acknowledges that worship is more than a Sunday ritual since Christ should permeate our lives which means that wherever we walk, we should leave footprints.

But , one of the areas that I'm particuarly interested in right now, is MONEY!!

Now, for those of you who think money is the root of all evil, click the back button now because I'm going to touch on this "forbidden" subject.

You see, there is NOTHING wrong with money …

… it's a) what you do with it and b) your relationship with it. In fact, these should be in reverse order because your relationship with money will be directly related to what you do with it and how you obtain it.

Anyway, during my research, I visited RichWoman.com the site of Kim Kiyosaki and wife of Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad). And I was so blessed when I stumbled upon and then watched their interview on Day Star.

I got really excited when Robert Kiyosaki expressed his insight into the story of the talents in Matthew: 14 -29 because what he said was just too close for comfort to what I said in my blog post, The Rich Get Richer Whilst The Poor Get Poorer . You would have thought we'd had a conversation and that we read the same Bible! :-) I won't go over that post, you can go and check it out for yourself but here is the essence of what he was saying…

The one talent that the servant hid was taken away from him and given to the servant with the ten talents (v.28) and then in verse 29, we're told "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."

I make it clear though, that this isn't about the amount of assets you have, in the words of Andrew Wommack, this is about "stinking thinking!" The kind of thinking that says "I'm never going to get out of this mess," or "what skills do I have," etc.

But Robert Kiyosaki also touched on Rich Church Poor Church and the difference in the two mentalities. He actually left his Church when he was younger because the Pastor told the congregation that rich people would go to hell. You know the scripture relating to the camel and the eye of a needle right…? I wouldn't doubt that if you asked most people who love to quote this scripture, what an eye of a needle is, they'd go to their sewing box!!

Enough said on that point, but my thoughts turned to the growth of the Church and why it is that we hear so much about prosperity these days and yet there seems to be a "lack" epidemic amongst Christians.

I know many people are going to consider me "out of order" but I'm only saying what I know Paul would have said if he'd been around today.

First of all for those of you thinking what's money got to do with the growth of the Church, it has many connections, but one of the most important is that the sinner is afraid of becoming poor like too many of us so they stay away!

Also, when the "poor" Christian, in every sense of the word, is pennyless because they've given everything to the foundation who thinks money is evil, they leave the Church looking for some semblence of riches in the world again! Come on Christians, it's time to wake up!

And just because your Church leader is speaking about prosperity doesn't mean prosperity prevails in the Church either. Why? In the corporate world we always used to say that the culture of the organization reflects that of the leader and it's no different in the Church.

If your Church leader (and I'm including anybody in ministry, including myself, in this definition) is speaking about prosperity but no one around them seems to be going places, something is wrong!

I am so NOT surprised when Jerry Savelle tells the stories of how people who come to work for him, or give to his ministry prosper. You know why, because he's a leader who genuinly has people's best interest at heart and not his own and God rewards him for this and others who partner with him are likewise blessed … They take on that same mindset.

He doesn't mind if people overtake him and do greater works than him.

Doesn't this characteristic remind you of the Lord Jesus himself "greater works shall ye do…" It is this kind of mentality that makes a Church rich.

In the words of Zig Ziglar …

"If you give enough people what they want, you'll get what you want."

Jesus wanted people to know and experience the Kingdom of Heaven and he got people's attention by meeting their needs first in many instances. How could they help him? By becoming disciples and spreading the Word.

So ask yourself today, how can I help someone else who might be in need of my skills, time, money or advice? Your purpose isn't to create a "give to get" mentality though, but to give out of genuine love to help others. God will do the rest!

In my next blog post, I'm going to tell you about the "Slap and the Blessing" that the Lord gave me last last year about staying focused on the dream He has given me.

In the meantime, can I encourage you to "get understanding." Read some books, have conversations with people outside of your peer group and listen to teachers who may have a different perspective than you and ask God to give you a spirit of discernment since that will help you separate the wheat from the chaff and will you grow.

Blessings,