The Blessings Of The Lord

I was asked a question recently about the relationship between job, church, and family. My personal experience might be helpful to those who are asking this question. I have one disclaimer though. I knew from a very early age that I had a call on my life to full time ministry. With that said, I came to a point in my life where I had to choose between going into the corporate business world with lots of money on the table or to pursue the ministry.  I made the choice for ministry.  I refused the money because I knew that I couldn’t be entangled in the business world.  I got too caught up in it. As a matter of fact, I nearly lost my soul.  Not everyone has that to deal with.  Many people are called to be business men and women. They do a very good job staying balanced and keeping their priorities right. They are committed to being kingdom financiers. I, however, struggled.

God had called me into the ministry.  The better I did in the business world the more I was pulled into worldly pursuits.  I knew that I couldn’t go to deep.   I knew, if I did, I would have passed on the ministry.    The money would have bound me.  Even today I am very careful not to do things that could pull me away from my calling.  I have had opportunities come my way that I have refused because I knew I would have succeeded, and It would have required me to commit too much of my time, energy, and resources.  I could get too distracted and would become ineffective and entangled in worldly pursuits.

My first love was, and is, God, church, and family. Because I chose to obey and accept my calling, God has rewarded me with both my love, (church & family)  and money.  He said, “delight yourself in him and he would give you the desires of your heart”  (Ps 37:4).

If a person who is promoted and blessed with financial blessings will stay humble and teachable, they will be ok.

Deut has a stern warning against self reliance.  I think that everyone should read and internalize this scripture. Deut 8:10-19.

We should protect ourselves against the belief that the blessings we receive are what got us the blessing.  The blessings that come to us are a result of the seeds we have sown yesterday or even years ago. They are the fruit of our obedience before the blessings came. They are results of faithful service in the house of God. They testify to our commitment to be present in the house of the Lord. They are the products of the prayers that we have prayed and prayer meetings we frequented.  Blessings come because we have submitted ourselves to the gifts that God has place in the church, and in our lives. They are not the indicator of God’s will. They do not stand alone in isolation to indicate that we have arrived.

I said that, because people tend to forget that blessings do not indicate the will of God.  Instead, being in the will of God, and doing the will of God, will point us to the blessing.  Obeying God will produce blessings.

Many have strayed thinking that the new refrigerator, the washer and dryer miraculously given to them, or even a new job, was God’s divine leading and mark of approval.  They leave what got them those things. Only to be left deceived by the devil.  We should identify what has brought us to where we are.  Yes, it is God, but what about where God has led us.  What about the pastor, the church, our family, our church family, and all of the relationships that God has given us.

I am always amazed at those who come to our church with serious problems and challenges who receive the Word and begin to grow. Their lives begin to change and finally they see life begin to improve.  They receive healing in their bodies. They see their finances begin to turn around. Family troubles are rectified. They see their desires coming to pass.  Then all of a sudden they decided that they should leave and that God has showed them some new thing.  Their justification for this is the blessings that they now see.  Again discounting the fact that their blessings are the product of what they previously sowed.  They fail to recognize that a seed planted requires time to produce it’s fruit.  One doesn’t plant tomato seeds today and pick tomatoes tomorrow.  Time lapses and fruit is harvested.

So it is with the things of the Spirit.  A decision made or an activity we have done today most likely is not going to bring a manifestation today.  That would violate the seed time principle. No! today’s harvest is yesterday’s planting.  More often then not an open door is a manifestation not a leading. Our resolve should be to follow the Word of God and not the signs that follow, which leads me to my final thought.

Finally, it is important for us to remember that our spiritual pursuits are not of lesser importance than our natural pursuits.  People should realize that Godliness is profitable unto all things. (1 Tim 4:8)  Yes money is important but our pursuit of God is of far more consequence than the dollars that we earn.  We can not afford to prioritize our lives such that God is only in the portion of our lives that does not contain our work.  All of my life is His.  All that I have is His.  All that I do is His.

– Pastor Steven McCartt
Family Worship Center of Florence SC