Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind (25 page)

If you have any doubts or questions about the fact that God wants to bless you, I want to help you because I want you to agree with Him in this area of your life. The best way to do that is to show you what God Himself says. His words are anointed to bring transformation to your thinking and change to your life, so take a look at them and ask Him to use them to shift you into a place of complete confidence in His desire to provide for you and to bless you abundantly.

• “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

• “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly… but his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates… everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].” (Psalm 1:1–3)

• “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.” (Psalm 23:1)

• “The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.” (Psalm 34:10)

• “Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” (Psalm 35:27)

• “He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great.” (Psalm 115:13)

• “And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field… they neither toil nor spin…. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28–30)

• “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10)

Think about It

Which of the Scriptures in this section speaks most to your heart or seems most appropriate for you right now?

I encourage you to memorize and meditate on it.

I Learned a Lesson

I know firsthand the power of God’s Word and Scriptures like those mentioned above to completely change the way we think. Like many other people, I needed God’s Word to do a major work in my thinking in the area of blessings and provision. Before I understood the power of thoughts, words, and actions, I had what I call a “cheap spirit.” I always paid the lowest possible price for everything I bought. I shopped at rummage sales, discount stores, and even dug in the “dented-can basket” at the grocery store, hoping to catch sales and find good bargains. I bought day-old bread and off-brands. You might be thinking,
So you were frugal. What’s wrong with that?
The answer is, absolutely nothing. The problem is that I went way beyond frugality. I saw myself as someone who could never afford the good stuff. I lived with the fear that if I spent the money I had, we would run out and not have enough.

My husband, on the other hand, saw the situation from the completely opposite point of view. He did not spend money he didn’t have, but if he had it, he certainly wasn’t afraid to purchase what he needed and he always believed in getting the best quality he could afford instead of the cheapest thing he could find. We had many arguments about this particular subject and one day, while he was frustrated with me, he said, “God is never going to be able to really bless us until you get rid of this cheap attitude.” What he said made me angry, but he was right! God cannot give us abundance if we have no vision for it.

On a different occasion, we had an experience that taught me another valuable lesson. We needed a new car. I wanted a certain kind, but when we went car shopping I was afraid to purchase what I really wanted. Instead, I said that I felt we should purchase a cheaper model. Dave felt strongly that I should get the car I really wanted because we could afford it. I reasoned that, even though we could afford it, we would have more money left over each month if I settled for the car I didn’t like nearly as much but knew I could get by with.

The payment for the car I really wanted was about fifty dollars a month more than the one I would have settled for, and eventually Dave won out and we got the more expensive model. I loved the car and felt really good driving it. To my amazement, about two weeks after we purchased it, I received an unexpected pay raise and what I cleared after taxes was almost exactly fifty dollars a month.

The “cheap” attitude I described in this story affected every area of my life. I thought the way I thought at the car lot all the time—constantly reasoning and talking myself into buying or taking less than I wanted and could afford. The result was that I always felt deprived, but in reality, I was depriving myself. I believe God used this situation to help me break my unhealthy thought pattern. I firmly believe now that had I settled for the one I thought I could get by with, that I would have never gotten the raise I received. So often God wants to give us one of the desires of our hearts and He cannot do so because we refuse to have it. We think it is too good for us or we try so hard to take care of our own future that we live in fear and won’t use what God has given us to enjoy in the present.

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting that looking for a bargain is a bad thing or that going to a garage sale means that I have a cheap attitude. I like a good sale as well as anybody, but I don’t let it rule all of my purchases any longer. I have a good friend who goes to resale shops as a hobby. She and her mom will spend most of the day going from place to place and the bargains they get amaze me. They have fun and enjoy it; they don’t go out of fear like I did.

I also want to be clear that I am not suggesting that people spend money they don’t have or go into debt to buy things they cannot afford. Concerning our finances, we should always save some, give some, and spend some. Never spend all you have, but don’t be afraid to spend what you need to in order to have some things you will enjoy. Pray about large purchases and, if you have the money and believe God approves of the item you plan to buy, then do so without fear or feeling guilty.

I strongly urge anyone with the same problem I had to begin seeing yourself in a new way. You are valuable and should have nice things. God wants to bless you, but you need a healthy self-image. See yourself with your needs met; say that God meets them; and get ready to come up to a new level of abundance in your life.

Think about It

Do you have a “cheap attitude”?

How can you begin to develop a mind-set of abundance?

Be Equipped to Meet Needs

When I talk about prosperity, I like to say we need to have “prosperity with a purpose.” As I wrote in Power Thought 5, God blesses us so we can bless others. He does not want us to be needy; He wants us to be equipped to help people who are in need, and we cannot do that if all we are experiencing is lack. When we don’t have enough to meet our own needs and the needs of our families or others for whom we are responsible, then it is very difficult to help other people in need. This is one reason God promises to provide for us and to do so abundantly.

To help other people, we need strength, good health, and clarity of mind. We need money to help people who are struggling financially. We need clothes to be able to share with people who need them. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul teaches us that “God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].” The following verses say that God gives seed to a person who is willing to sow (see 2 Corinthians 9:9, 10). This means, if you are willing to share with others and meet their needs, God will not only meet your needs, He will give you an abundance of supply so you will always be able to give.

I encourage you to develop the mind-set that you are a generous giver. Look for ways to give and for needy people to whom you can give. The more you reach out to others, the happier you will be. Jesus said that we would always have the poor with us (see Matthew 26:11), and the Bible has more than two thousand Scriptures that deal with our responsibility to the poor and needy. Study what the Bible says about God’s provision and see yourself as one who meets needs rather than one who is needy.

Live with an attitude of expectancy. King David said, “[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!” (Psalm 27:13). To live expectantly is not the same as living with a sense of entitlement, which is an attitude that we deserve everything without doing anything. We don’t deserve anything from God, but in His mercy He wants us to live in holy expectancy so we can receive his best.

Expect bargains, but don’t settle for something you don’t really like just to get it for less money if you are able to pay more and get what you truly desire. Here is an example: I can remember going to buy a pair of shoes, finding what I really liked at the first store, but because they were not on sale I would spend several more hours going from store to store, trying to find them cheaper. When I finally saw what I was doing, it became apparent that my attitude was foolish because even if I found some shoes for less money, I had already spent what I saved in time and gas money looking for what I perceived as a bargain. Not only that, but I rarely liked them as much as the first pair and ended up feeling deprived. Even if you have been needy all of your life, that can change if you will do your part. Your part is to obey God, sow good seeds, have a vision of abundance and think and say right things that agree with God’s Word—and be persistent. Do what you have to right now because you cannot spend what you don’t have, but don’t believe you are stuck there forever.

I believe this is an important area and one where Satan fights hard to keep people deceived. He wants us to feel deprived because that ultimately produces self-pity, jealousy, envy, and a general feeling of discontent. You must be ready to be persistent in developing a new mind-set in this area. Meditate on and confess, “God meets all my needs abundantly.” As you continue doing this you will develop a healthy mind-set that will enable you to prosper in all areas.

I want to close this chapter with a passage of Scripture for you to meditate on, one that clearly and powerfully communicates what God wants to do for you. I urge you to read it and see it as a personal message from God to you. Let it sink into your heart and change your thinking. If you can develop a mind-set based on the truths in this verse, you’ll find yourself more blessed than you ever thought possible.

And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

(Isaiah 30:18)

Think about It

Do you believe God will bless you and make you a blessing to others? What do you have right now that you can share with someone in need?

Power Pack

“And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

“Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Psalm 35:27

“God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].”

2 Corinthians 9:8

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].”

Genesis 12:2

POWER THOUGHT

9

I pursue peace with God, myself, and others.

“Seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!”

Psalm 34:14

A Legacy of Peace

Being at peace with God begins with recognizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior and asking Him to forgive us. We need to simply believe that Jesus died for our sins, became our substitute, and took the punishment that we deserved and then receive Him into our heart. Be willing to turn away from a sinful lifestyle and learn to live the way God asks us to.

Peace with God is maintained by never attempting to hide sin. We must always come clean with God and keep good communication open between us and Him. When we make mistakes we should never withdraw from Him, but we should come near because only He can restore us. To repent means to turn away from sin and return to the highest place. God is not surprised by our weaknesses and failures. Actually, He knew about the mistakes we would make before we made them. All we need to do is admit them and He is faithful to forgive us continually from all sin (see 1 John 1:9).