SERMON BY APOSTLE ( DR) SAINT GBILEKAA ABRAHAMS 07061834000
TOPIC: THERE IS NOTHING GODLY ABOUT POVERTY
MEMORISE:
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. – (3 John 2)
Psalm 90:17: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (NIV).Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…”
BIBLE READING: 2 KINGS 4:1-7 (KJV)
1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
MESSAGE:
There is nothing godly about poverty; it has sent many people to hell, just as riches have done.
Poverty has made many youths decide never to follow the path of their Christian parents because of how badly they suffered while growing up.
It has made the people of the world mock the Almighty God because they thought that Christians were dumb as a result of their devotion to God.
In today’s Bible reading, one of Elisha’s proteges died in poverty and left an inheritance of debt for his family.
If his wife had not run to Elisha and received the word of the Lord that turned their poverty to wealth, his two sons, who were facing a lifetime of slavery, could have grown up hating God even though their father was a godly man.
The Almighty God is not poor (Haggai 2:8), so poverty is not godliness. God gives his children power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), and it is His desire to prosper them even as their soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Beloved, reject poverty! It is not the will of God for your life.
So many people think that because they are godly, poverty according to them is directly proportional to godliness, but I have a good news for you; that, there nothing gddly about poverty and poverty is not humility.
Rather, the devil has cheated us over the years and has used poverty in brainwashing christians that riches and prosperity are not meant for them.
A lot of people mistake humility to poverty giving the way they were raised in the Christian faith.
While the devil continue to aggresively blindfold a lot of Christians that riches and prosoerity are toxic to them, the same has over the centuries raised his agents and followers to take over politics, government, traditional institution, companies and industries until Christians were at the mercy of evil people running different economies around the world.
In the it was widely believed among Christians that poverty is one of the criteria for being a true child of the Almighty God.
This belief was so strong that Christian believers were using poverty as a yardstick for making it to heaven, but beloved, such teachings were not from the kingdom of God, but from the devil.
Christians were made to understand that using of cars, wearing of expensive cloths and shoes,watching of televisions and even using of jewelries amongst women, others were things that will hinder them from going to heaven.
Dear reader, I want to strongly insist that poverty is not from our beloved DADDY, but from the wicked devil.
HOW TO SUCCEED AS A CHRISTIAN BELIEVER
Becoming rich or successful requires as a Christian believer requires a combination of using your hands to work, increasing your earning power, living below your means to maximize savings, and consistently investing the difference into appreciating assets.
There is no overnight magic; wealth building is a gradual process of converting active income into multiple streams of passive income.
To succeed as a Christian in business, you must endeavour to treat your work as an extension of your faith. Center your operations on unwavering integrity, servant leadership, and wise stewardship. This merges ethical business practices with the conviction that your ultimate boss is God.
Beloved, God defines success not by wealth, status, or worldly achievements, but by faithfulness, obedience to His will, and love for Him and others. He does not oppose prosperity, but places eternal impact and a thriving soul above material gain.
How God Measures Success
a. Obedience over Results: True success is aligning your life with God’s word and living it out daily, regardless of the size of your worldly results.
b. Faithfulness: God evaluates you based on how well you steward the gifts, time, and resources He has entrusted to you.
c.Eternal Significance: The ultimate goal is to live a life of integrity that brings glory to God, rather than focusing solely on temporary, worldly gains.
Core Principles for Godly Success
a.Anchor Your Life in Scripture: Meditating on and applying God’s principles creates a foundation for a prosperous and steadfast life.
b. Involve God in Your Planning: Commit your work and goals to the Lord, trusting that He will establish your plans.
c. Work with Diligence: While God provides the strength and the ultimate results, taking responsibility and working hard are still required.
Below are some of the ways of becoming more successful as a Christian believer.
1. Use Your Hands and Do Something
Ephesians 4:28: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (ESV)
Proverbs 10:4: “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth” (NIV).
Doing business as a Christian means viewing your enterprise as a tool to solve problems, create value, and generate wealth with integrity.
You can build a highly successful and prosperous business while remaining rooted in your faith by prioritizing biblical principles, ethical operations, and diligent stewardship.
As a Christian, using your hands to “do something” translates into honoring God through both diligent labor and acts of service. The Bible encourages hard work and charity, viewing your hands as tools for active faith.
The positive outcome is that, using your hands as a Christian to do business can get h the following results:
a. You Can Work Diligently: Do your secular or daily work with all your might. The scriptures urge believers to “work with your hands” so that you may live independently and be a positive witness to others.
b. Support the Needy: Ephesians 4:28 encourages believers to work with their hands doing honest labor so they can share with those in need. Use your hands to volunteer, prepare food, or pack relief items.
c. Serve Your Community: Jesus Christ used His hands to serve others by washing feet and breaking bread. You can mirror this by helping neighbors, mentoring youths, or participating in local church cleanups.
d. You can also Offer Encouragement and Prayer: Laying hands on the sick in prayer or simply reaching out to hold someone’s hand during a difficult time are powerful ways to express Christ’s love.
e. You can Create and Build: God has given you unique skills and talents. Whether it is writing, crafting, building, or farming, use your God-given abilities to bless others and glorify Him.
Kindly note that by doing business as a Christian believer, you must take note of the following;
I. Lead with Uncompromising Integrity
Honest Practices: Practice total honesty in marketing, contracts, and negotiations. Let your reputation be an asset.
Also Insist on Fairness: Treat employees, vendors, and partners with equity and respect
Avoid Unethical Shortcuts:
Reject bribes, over-invoicing, or deceptive dealings.
2. View Business as a Ministry and Servic
Solve Problems: Your primary goal should be to add value and be a blessing to your customers, rather than just extracting wealth.
Insist On Excellence: Produce high-quality goods and services as a testimony of your faith.
The “Golden Rule”: Always treat others exactly as you would want to be treated.
3. Practice Wise Stewardship
Hard Work and Focus: Do the daily work, set 90-day goals, and eliminate distractions.
Debt Management: Strive to avoid unnecessary debt, remembering that the borrower is slave to the lender.Generosity:
Incorporate giving and supporting others as a core part of your financial model.
4.Seek Divine Wisdom and Discernment
Ask for Guidance: Pray for insight, clarity, and discernment for business decisions.
Due Diligence: Pair your faith with active learning, planning, and practical research.
2. Start with stewardship, not greed.
Luke 16:10: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”
Master ₦10,000 before you pray for ₦100.000 Track income, spend less than you earn, give first . Proverbs 3:9.
3. Work hard and work smart.
Proverbs 10:4: “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Proverbs 21:5:”The plans of the diligent lead to profit.”
Skills plus consistency plus excellence. No shortcuts. The Almighty God blesses the work of your hands.Deuteronomy 28:12.
4.Understands the principle of Stewardship vs. Ownership:
The Almighty God owns everything (Psalm 24:1); humans are entrusted as managers (stewards) of these resources. Wealth should be used to support the vulnerable, further God’s kingdom, and provide for one’s family.
5. Diligence and Hard Work: The Bible strictly condemns laziness and “get rich quick” schemes. Instead, it advocates for hard work, skillful planning, and consistency (Proverbs 10:4, Proverbs 13:11).
6. Generosity and Tithing:
Be generous on the way up.
Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you… running over.”
2 Corinthians 9:11*: “You will be enriched in every way to be generous.”
Tight fists can’t receive. Pay your Tithes plus offerings plus helping others keeps your heart right and your hands open.
As a matter of realism, giving is an antidote to greed.
The principle of tithing (giving the first 10% of one’s increase) and offering to the needy reflects an attitude of putting God first (Proverbs 3:9-10).
7. Saving, Investing, and Diversification:
Proverbs 22:29: “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings.”
Rich people get paid for solving problems. Learn a high-value skill: tech, sales, trades, writing, business, etc. Add 1 more income stream every year if you can.
Proverbs 21:20: “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”
Ecclesiastes 11:2: “Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight.”Don’t put all eggs in one basket.
Rule of thumb: Give 10% plus, Save/Invest 20%plus, Live on 70% or less. Let compound growth do the heavy lifting.
Scripture encourages long-term saving, prudent investment, and risk management through diversification (Ecclesiastes 11:2, Proverbs 21:20).
Storing and multiplying resources is framed as a responsibility, while hiding or wasting them is considered poor stewardship (Matthew 25:14-30).
You must live Below Your Means by avoiding lifestyle inflation. As you earn more, resist the urge to proportionately increase your spending.
You must also automate your savings: Aim to save a set percentage (e.g., 15% to 20%) of every paycheck before you have a chance to spend it.
You must also understand the Power of Compound Interest: That is, you must start saving as early as possible so that your investments have time to compound and grow
The truism is that People generally build wealth through three primary pathways: the stock market (mutual funds, index funds), real estate, and business ownership.
8. Avoid debt traps plus impatience.
The Bible strongly warns against unnecessary debt and the pitfalls of co-signing, noting that debt makes the borrower a “servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).
Proverbs 22:7*:”The borrower is slave to the lender.”
Proverbs 28:20: “Haste leads to poverty.”
Stay away from get-rich-quick, gambling,Naira belt, “double your money in 7 days.” Impatience is the number one wealth killer.
9. Honesty and Ethics:
Wealth should never be acquired through exploitation, deceit, or unjust practices. Integrity in business is paramount to receiving God’s blessing (Proverbs 11:1).
10. Contentment over Greed:
The Bible warns against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10) rather than money itself. Christians are taught to pursue wisdom and contentment above unchecked material accumulation.
11. Guard your heart.
Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom… and all these things will be given to you as well.”
1 Timothy 6:17-18*: “Be rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share.”
If money becomes your master, you will lose peace, family, and integrity. Rich plus ruined equals to poverty.
12. Build a “Wealth-Building”Mindset
You must understand the difference between a need and a want. Prioritize long-term financial security over short-term material purchases.
Successful individuals often view themselves as capable of building wealth and act with the confidence needed to seize new opportunities.
13. Increase Your Earning Potential By Developing High-Value Skills:
Acquire skills that are in high demand and solve complex problems (e.g., software development, digital marketing, data analysis, or financial modeling).
Invest in Education: Read books, take courses, or find mentors to continuously scale your capabilities.
Build a Personal Brand: Many individuals find success by sharing their expertise on social media platforms, which can lead to speaking gigs, sponsorships, and endorsements.
Practical roadmap you can start this month in Gboko Makurdi.
What you need to know and do;
1. Budget.
Write income vs expenses. Give 10%, save 20% first. You can’t grow what you don’t measure
2. Kill waste
Cut 3 subscriptions, cook more, avoid impulse buys. Frees capital to invest
3. Skill up.
Pick 1 skill you can monetize in 90 days: graphics, coding, copywriting, catering, etc. Income goes up when value goes up
4. Start small investment.
Mutual funds, treasury bills, or a legit business you understand. Avoid anything promising “guaranteed 30% monthly.” Money works while you sleep.
5. Build relationships. Serve well, be trustworthy.
Proverbs 18:16:“A gift opens doors.” Opportunities come through people.
Money lies to throw away.
1.“I need a miracle to be rich”: God does miracles, but He usually blesses process. Proverbs 13:11 “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle.”
2. “Never Say Iam too late”: Ecclesiastes 11:6.“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle.” Start now.
3.”Rich people are evil”: Deuteronomy 8:18* says God gives wealth. Abraham, Joseph, Lydia, and Job were wealthy and godly.
The Almighty God wants you to be wealthy enough to bless others, fund His work, and live free.
About The Author
