Hard work is a staple in America. And no doubt you are one of these hard working Americans. Chances are your hard work, however, has not made you wealthy.
My Hardworking Father
Let me illustrate my point with a personal story. My father was the hardest working man in America. He grew up during the depression, a black man facing Jim Crow. As a youngster, he quit school so he could work more, never advancing beyond a third-grade education. Often he would leave home long before sunrise to be the first man on the job site. Don’t misunderstand me, I honor him for his work ethic. Nevertheless, he died a broke man.
My father was emblematic of millions of overworked poor Americans. He and they work their fingers to the bones but never amass any wealth. Some of them, maybe yourself included, work two or three jobs, still they struggle financially.
Time For A Change
There’s a better way. A way to work less, yet create more wealth. It’s called the Blessing of the Lord. I’ll shorten it to the BLESSING. Stay with me as I introduce you to the BLESSING and how it can enable you to work less and create more.
Defining The BLESSING
Let’s begin with a definition of the BLESSING. For that definition, I’ll defer to Kenneth Copeland. He developed the best definition I’ve ever heard. Simply stated, he said the BLESSING is the empowerment to prosper. I’ll explain.
Proverbs 10:22 says the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. This scripture says something astonishing, and like many people, you probably didn’t catch it. I’ll repeat it. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Did you catch it this time? This scripture says hard works does not make one rich. It says the BLESSING makes one rich, and without sorrow. And guess what “without sorrow” means: no toilsome, grinding hard work.
Hopefully, excitement is entering your heart as you read this, and you are asking yourself where does the BLESSING come from and how can I receive it?
You need to look no further than the Bible to answer these questions. Deuteronomy 8:18 says the Lord gives you the POWER to get wealth. In other words, the BLESSING comes from the Lord. In fact, according to Genesis 1:26-28, God gave the BLESSING originally to Adam. Then He passed it down to Noah, Abraham, King David and ultimately to Jesus.
Every Jesus Follower Has the BLESSING
The good news is if you are a Jesus follower you already have the BLESSING. Paul declared in Galatians 3:13-14 that the BLESSING comes upon all Jesus followers. Paul also said Jesus followers are redeemed from the curse of the law, which includes poverty. I’ll explain what that means in a later blog post.
Conclusion
Before I end this blog, I want to add two caveats. First, I am not saying you will prosper by being lazy and staying in bed all day. That’s slothfulness, and it surely produces poverty. In other words, you must work. However, your work should further the assignment God has for you. And you should work diligently to fulfill this assignment.
Think of God’s first man Adam. His work or assignment was to dress and keep the garden. God gave him the BLESSING to make his assignment fruitful and sweat-less until he ate of the forbidden fruit. Then his life became cursed and toilsome. He still had the BLESSING but it stop producing in its full measure. Additionally, he had to contend with the curse. His condition was passed on to us. However, as I said above, Christ lifted the curse and released the BLESSING on every Jesus follower. Galatians 3:13-14.
Nevertheless, here’s the second caveat: the BLESSING doesn’t produce wealth unless you activate it. That is the reason it’s not working for you now if you are a Jesus follower and not prospering. I’ll explain how to activate the BLESSING in part two of this blog, which I’ll release next week.
Question: Why do you think so few Christians know anything about the BLESSING and its marvelous benefits?
Toni