When my father died at age fourteen and our family finances were affected, I developed a life message that said I would not allow myself to suffer Financial need again. Over the years I worked hard to make this a reality. A stronghold developed as a result which was completely on the subconscious level that led me to build Financial security at the cost of those who were close to me. All of this was even after being a Christian for over twenty years and attending church every week. As a result of coming to this awareness and dealing with it, I reviewed the many fallacies that I had fallen prey to and incorporated a new understanding of finances in my own life. 

When Jesus came to earth, He came to do one thing -- the will of the Father. Obeying the Father was foremost in His mind. His obedience was because of His love for the Father. Jesus expects our obedience to be based out of our love for Him. "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me" (John 14:23,24). So, when we find that we are not seeking to obey God in the principles He has given us, we realize we have a love problem. We really have not come to the place where we love God enough to obey His commands. 

Jesus understood that He was here on earth only to do the will of the Father. "Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these" (John 5:19,20). As we look at our relationship to our heavenly Father and our use of money, it is clear from these passages that we, like Jesus, are here to do the will of the Father. This means seeking to live a life that is totally yielded to His purposes -- even in the Financial area. This is the context in which we must view these common fallacies held about money. 

Money, independence, and security are often the reasons many start there our own businesses. There are five distinct wrongly held views about money that can get us into trouble. I discovered most of these first-hand. "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). 

Fallacy # 1: My money is to be used to buy anything I want. 

If we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are then considered to have riches. Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but a dependence on wealth. Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil. Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for the individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go. This was true for the rich young ruler who, when talking with Jesus about what he must do to inherit the kingdom Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be hardest -- to give away his wealth and follow Him. Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler because Jesus knew this was the greatest stumbling block for him to coming to Christ fully. For others of us it could have been something else Jesus would have asked us to give up. (See Matthew 19:16-30). 

Jesus also gave us another example of the problem money creates for any follower of Jesus in the parable of the sower. He describes four types of people in the parable of the sewer. 

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop --a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown" (Matthew 13:3-8). 

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown" (Matthew 13:18 emphasis mine). 

As a Christian I felt I had been following Christ fully. However, I discovered that I fell into the category of the sower who was deceived and had the cares of the world ruling me. The deceitfulness of wealth had choked the Word in my life. I was not yielding fruit any longer in my life. It is a subtle trap. Much like the frog in the boiling pot. Gradually we begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. Those around us begin to expect more and more. Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle. Before I knew it, I was worrying about how I would take care of what I had acquired. My emphasis became what I owned versus my relationship with Jesus and His kingdom. One day I woke up and realized I had a cold heart toward God. Apathy toward the things of God became apparent. However, I was still going through the motions of service toward God, but with no power. I believe there are a huge number of American Christians living in this category today. Christ is no longer Lord of our lives, much less our money. The greater independence money gave me, the less dependence on God I needed. God had to remove the money in order to get my attention. Otherwise, He knew I'd never take such action myself because He knows how difficult it is to do this. I'm thankful He did this for me. Christ talked much about money in the kingdom because He knew how much of a problem it was. This is why we have so few who are bearing 100, 60, or 30 times what is sown. We've stayed in the outer ring that prevents us from becoming real fruit bearers. 

"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin; yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then, saying, What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'with what shall we clothe ourselves?' For all these things the Gentles eagerly seek, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:25). 

When I accept Christ into my life I am saying to Him that He is now the Lord of my life. My life no longer is my own. What I own, the talents I have, and the resources He allows me to have are simply given to me for me to manage. He isn't against us having more than our basic needs as long as we remain an instrument of His to use those resources for His purposes. Our primary goal is to make money to be used for His purposes. We are to be His bondservant. A bondservant is one who is a willing slave with no rights of his or her own. 

Finances was one of the hardest areas for me to have Jesus Lord over. Was I truly willing to have only what Jesus desires me to have materially? "To this John replied, " A man can receive only what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). I am not saying that God cannot bless a Christian materially. The important factor is whether God gave us what we have or have we striven to acquire more and more out of the wrong motives. You might say, "How can I really know this?" The best way is to pray individually and examine our motives for why we are working and earning money. Discuss the idea with your spouse or mentor, and ask God. Next, get into an accountable relationship with a few others who are also willing to submit their finances to the Lord. Ask them to confirm through prayer whether your finances are lining up with what they believe God wants for you in this area. If we truly want Jesus lord over everything, it must start with our pocketbook. 

James warns us against hoarding. 

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self- indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter" (James 5:1- 5). 

It's very difficult to maintain a kingdom focus if we are focused on building wealth. This scripture is a description of those who live in the outer rings as described in Matthew 13. 

Fallacy # 2: My money measures my success.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment' (1 Timothy 6:17). 

God clearly says that He hates pride. He warns us "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" (Proverbs 16:18). As a business owner I became proud in heart. I expected others to perform at a certain level and if they didn't I felt it reflected poorly on me. This pride of life was often reflected in my bank balance. However, it was all on a subconscious level, so that we really don't recognize it as a problem. Others may not easily see it either. That is why it is so easy to fall prey to this sin. We are constantly bombarded with messages about the next investment, retirement years, return on investment, etc. Our society drives us to focus our attention on equating success with money. Jesus never equated success with money. In fact, He cautioned us against the dangers that money created. 

"Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 8:11-20 emphasis mine). This passage is a very strong reminder as to who is the source of our Financial blessings. If we fall into sin in our use of money, God has committed Himself to reproofing us for our benefit. This can be a painful process that can be avoided. 

God tells us, "Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you because I called, and you refused, I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention; and you neglected all my counsel, and did not want my reproof; I will even laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes. When your dread comes like a storm, and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you, then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall destroy them, but he who listens to me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil" (Proverbs 1:23-33). "He that is greedy at gain troubleth his own house" (Proverbs 15:27). 

Dr. Charles Stanley cites in his book, Adversity, "God's discipline or reproof will often correlate directly to the sin we commit. When Paul wrote, "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7 emphasis mine), this verse indicates a relationship between what we sow and what we reap. What we do and the consequences of those actions have a direct correlation." If we fall into Financial greed, God may actually judge that sin through a Financial calamity. "Some Christian women cannot have children today because they abused their bodies through drug and alcohol abuse or through an immoral lifestyle involving several sexual partners when they were younger. This is the discipline of God. Some Christian men and women have been caught in adultery and have lost their families and careers as a result. This, too, is the discipline of God. When a Christian businessman is caught stealing money from his company and loses his job and reputation, this is the discipline of God." 

"Jonah tried to run from God, and God stopped him from running. Israel was not faithful to God in the land He gave them, so He disciplined them by taking them out of the land He gave them. David destroyed Bathsheba's family through his treachery and adultery. God destroyed his family through the treachery of his son, Absalom." Adversity, Charles Stanley, p. 98 . Even Jacob received the same punishment that he was guilty. When he manipulated Esau for Jacob's birthright, he eventually was the source of a manipulative scheme by his uncle, Laban. He desperately wanted to marry Rachel. Laban required Jacob to work seven years only to trick him into lying with Leah, his oldest daughter on his wedding night. He made him work another seven years for Rachel. Jacob received the same punishment for his trickery. The sad part of this is that Jacob never would have had to trick Esau for his birthright; God had already told his mother that He was going to get it. 

If you are having Financial or relationship difficulties you may want to examine several areas to determine if God is reproving you in an effort to get your attention. Here are a few symptoms that could be showing up as God's reproof toward you or a stronghold may be the root cause that display these symptoms. 

Fallacy # 3: Money is my security.

So many of us fall into this trap. God told the people of Israel that His very name meant provider -- Jehovah Jireh. We often want to insure ourselves against God. This was the lesson I was learning. God was showing me that He and He alone is the provider of every need that I will encounter on this earth, even the smallest, most insignificant need. When our primary goal is wealth and independence we fall into a trap. We think it is "an unscalable wall" against calamity, but we only deceive ourselves. Nothing can protect us if God decides we have misplaced our faith and security. 

"The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall" (Proverbs 18:11). 

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5,6). 

"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions '" (Luke 12:15). 

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 emphasis mine). 

I found this one to be the most difficult to avoid falling into. It is natural for us to want to be secure. But when we try to gain that security out of a fear, we affront the nature of God. We are saying to God, "I don't think you will care for me, so I am going to make sure I will be secure." A stronghold of insecurity and fear can make us very susceptible to trying to save and hoard because of a fear of what the future may bring. Building a wall of Financial security around us can be a sign that money is being viewed as our security rather than God. When we fall into this we can expect God to remove our money in order to return our dependence on Him. Not out of punishment, but out of love for us. 

Fallacy # 4.: I can gain independence by having a lot of money. 

A successful businessman once confided in another businessman known for his wisdom. "You know John, I've made a lot of money. I will soon be able to retire comfortably," said the man. "I can do just about anything I want," he said. "John," the wise businessman replied, "I've noticed that every time someone thinks they've built a tree that is so tall it almost reaches Heaven, God often decides to shake the tree." The minute we start trusting in riches, God will, in fact, "shake the tree" to demonstrate who is the source of wealth to turn us back to trusting Him completely. He did it in my life, and He'll do it in your life too. Because He loves us too much to allow us to continue down this destructive path. 

When my father died at age fourteen and our family finances were affected, I developed a life message that said I would not allow myself to suffer Financial need again. Over the years I worked hard to make this a reality. A stronghold developed as a result which was completely on the subconscious level that led me to build Financial security at the cost of those who were close to me. All of this was even after being a Christian for over twenty years and attending church every week. As a result of coming to this awareness and dealing with it, I reviewed the many fallacies that I had fallen prey to and incorporated a new understanding of finances in my own life. 

When Jesus came to earth, He came to do one thing -- the will of the Father. Obeying the Father was foremost in His mind. His obedience was because of His love for the Father. Jesus expects our obedience to be based out of our love for Him. "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me" (John 14:23,24). So, when we find that we are not seeking to obey God in the principles He has given us, we realize we have a love problem. We really have not come to the place where we love God enough to obey His commands. 

Jesus understood that He was here on earth only to do the will of the Father. "Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these" (John 5:19,20). As we look at our relationship to our heavenly Father and our use of money, it is clear from these passages that we, like Jesus, are here to do the will of the Father. This means seeking to live a life that is totally yielded to His purposes -- even in the Financial area. This is the context in which we must view these common fallacies held about money. 

Money, independence, and security are often the reasons many start there our own businesses. There are five distinct wrongly held views about money that can get us into trouble. I discovered most of these first-hand. "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). 

Fallacy # 5: Money defines my purpose in life.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief's" (1 Timothy 6:6-10). 

This was an easy trap for me. Although it was subtle, I did fall into a belief that "the more money I had, the more value I had." That's the message I believed subconsciously. That is the message the world is constantly communicating to us through every form of media - talk shows, commercials, Hollywood, even the church at times. Paul said the purpose for his existence was "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10). "And to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). Paul is telling us that money is not what defines who we are; knowing Christ and His love defines our being. We should not be known by how much we own, what we do or know, or by what we accomplish. We should be known by who we are as men and women in Christ.