Mindset (Stewardship)

Hey, this is Tim Pratt Jr. and I want to welcome you to the podcast Student of Life. I pray that you hear something that will add value, shape, develop, and cultivate your faith in order to be the person that God desires you to be, as well as the application to see it through. Enjoy. What's up everybody? So this is episode 8 of season 3, and this is our second episode in our stewardship series. And with this one, I'm I want to get straight into it. I've already asked the question, what comes to mind when you think of financial stewardship? I mean, not financial stewardship, what comes to mind when you think of stewardship? But so if you need to go back and listen to that one, please do. But this one, I want to jump straight into it because I believe this one is very critical. And like I told you in the last one, we're going to call this one mindset because I believe that how we perceive things determines how we receive, and that's going to dictate how we apply to our life if we do. So mindset is going to be extremely important on really any journey, but especially in the context of this series, stewardship. So I want to jump straight into it. We're going into our foundational text because, you know, I don't like to just talk, talk, talk. I want to get straight to the point by the power of God, and that you take this information, share it, you know, or help make it a— uh, where God— you make, you make it applicable to your life. Because that's what it's about. So you're just— all I'm doing is just trying to be a vessel where you just extract and draw. And all our stories are different. So that being said, let's jump into it. Our foundational text is Matthew 5:3, and I'm reading from the ESV: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. With this episode, you know, sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't, I want to kind of give you an application point and it's more so just kind of the lens I want you to see it, as well as helping you apply this. And it goes as this: we cannot serve the kingdom of God with a poverty mindset. I'ma say it again: we can't serve the kingdom of God or advance the kingdom of God with a poverty mindset. Proper financial stewardship is more than just being frugal in life. Is understanding how to manage God's money his way and not ours. So we need a basic understanding of basically personal finance to help plan, to help plan things out, to help reach our financial goals, our life goals in general. And what I mean by life goals is that in the context of our life on this earth, we do And just to be straight up, and I, and I know I don't know everybody's story, but a lot of times it's not that we need more money. Like I say, we need understanding. And why do I say that? Now don't take this in the vacuum, but when you really think about it, if I was— let's just use somebody's making $8 an hour and they're living paycheck to paycheck, but they're making it. And they say, man, you know, I need more money. And they do, and they get it, and it really helps out. And so they start— they find a job where they're making $16 an hour or even $20. So that's double, if not more, of their— what they were just making. And then 2, 3 months later, it seemed like now that's just enough. What happened? Mindset. Mindset is going to be critical because if you go back to him like, man, I thought you, you just got double your hourly rate, or I mean, I thought that was you, you making $18, $20 hours, you, you making more than $16 an hour. And then it's like, right, it's just like, and then they go even further. Let's say they get, they're getting bonuses now, they're getting $22 to $25 an hour. And 2, 3 months later, it seemed like it's just enough from $8 an hour when that was just enough. One thing, mindset, because you haven't dealt with the root of the issue. And so it's like, we have to get an understanding. We have to understand how to manage God's money his way because he's the source and these are just resources. And we're going to get into that and unpack that. But I need some room because you probably like, man, how in the world does Matthew 5:3, the foundational text, relate to this? Well, one, because this is faith-based— part of faith-based podcast— is that many followers of Christ, just keeping it real, we have took this verse and some others as Jesus speaking of financial poverty when he wasn't. He was speaking of spiritual bankruptcy, meaning that it's nothing that we can do outside of God. Everything that we have comes from God. If you like, well, nah, this, this is me, I did— okay, your ability to think, your intellect, your skills, your talent, all of that, it came from God. The gifts, all of that. If you've been anointed to do something different and the favor, it It all came from God. So that's just the truth, and I'm, I'm willing to admit that, that I, I can't— the way I'm able to learn and convey all of these type of things, at the end of the day, it comes from God. So he's the source. He is what enables and allows me to do the things that I need to do. But like I say, us in the body, the body of Christ, a lot— not all, but a lot of believers especially, you know, in smaller local communities and churches, is that we think that we have to have a poverty mindset. We think that he was talking about, you know, yeah, we— it's all right, we just gonna have to be poor on this side. We not— I mean, they're riches and people like that, they all corrupt. No, they're not. No, they're not. That's, that's just— that's a poverty mindset, and that's why we can't make impact and through proper stewardship help advance the kingdom of God. A lot of times, and I think I said this in the last episode, not having proper stewardship is that— is the pro— one of the primary reasons we can't have more generosity. Because with just bad— with bad stewardship, it's like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. That's just the truth, because we have the wrong mindset about money. So what God was telling us, what Jesus was telling us, because you, as you keep on reading, you get into Matthew 6, is that he was warning us that if we're not careful, riches can get in the way of God. But If we truly understand stewardship, biblical stewardship, and we live it, I'm telling you, we will be okay. Matter of fact, let's, let's go to Matthew 6:24. Give me— let me use this app. So Matthew 6:24, DSV, it reads as, no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. What is that saying? Either we will steward over and manage God's money, or it will steward over us. In other words, we'll become a slave to it. Our decisions will be motivated by money. For example, this happened to me some years ago. I was like, at 21 I got into financial, just a lot of financial books, podcasts, and just on and on and on. And I was, man, like I was doing real good, hit some nice stocks, and I just started seeing like my return on investment. And I was like, man, I can really be set by 35, 40. And what started to happen was I just, in all truthfulness, man, I started becoming a slave to money. It was all about get this money, and I was thinking legacy, you know, all this type of stuff. And I started to serve it. I wasn't stewarding over it anymore. So like, then it was, you know, should I cut $300, $400, even $500 check to the ministry or help give to someone in need? And I'm like, I'm getting it. And then I was like, man, that $300, $400, $500, if not more, could, you know, compound over years, man. I can just go and put this in this mutual fund and just, you know. So I was, I was, I, I was no longer stewarding over. That's all I'm trying to say is I started to become a slave to the money. And it goes back to what Jesus was warning. So because I lost sight of what biblical stewardship really was, and so I was no longer living it. So that's what Matthew 6:24 is saying. So it's not— it's not— so Matthew 5:3 and Matthew 6:24, those verses should not be took as— what's up? I'm trying to— I'm just— I just want to say this right. They should not be took as to be lazy when it comes to stewardship. To going out here and planning and getting your things in order, investing and thinking long term and stuff like that. That we, we want to make an impact on this side of— on, on Earth. We want to make an impact. And I like to say on this side of heaven, depending on your perception of the world, I get it. But I'm a believer. I believe I was put here for the purpose, and I do believe that I can have heaven on this Earth. Because I, I know where I belong. And so that's why I say on this side of heaven. With money, especially as believers, like I say, we need to start cultivating our skills. We need to start understanding and having more like, okay, what are steps I can take in place? I do the work, I trust God to bring the rain. And then God starts to bless that. He starts to increase it because you're being a proper steward over it. So now instead of like just offering someone salvation, always praying for them, we can do things with our money, with our checkbook, or whatever you want to call it, debit card, whatever you want to use. Because too many times, it's like I said, we, we can offer salvation, we can pray, we can have all these chicken dinners and raise all this money and program, program off the program, demanding people to just give, give, give, and we basically sucking the community dry because we all suck at proper stewardship. Teach people how to handle money the biblical way. As you see results in their life and people start to become debt-free, they start to clean up a lot of debt, it enables them to give more and give more cheerfully. Because nowhere in the New Testament, under the New Covenant, did Jesus lower the standard. I understand the 10% thing in the tithe, but truthfully, in the New Covenant, Jesus didn't lower the standard anywhere. You can search the scriptures. So this will enable us to become a cheerful giver and give as we have been blessed. But we can't do that when we have poor financial stewardship, because it's just like— prime example, all day you'll buy a new outfit new, just whatever, just stuff because you have the money. But then when it comes to sowing $50 to $100 in service that Sunday to help that ministry do effective things, you can't do it. But then turn around soon as service over and spend $75 on food, eating out, or alcohol, or whatever. You know, I'm not trying to get judgmental or anything like that, but the lens I want you to see this through is that it really comes down like where we can give and not hurt. I understand sacrifice sacrificial giving. I understand all of those things in proper context, but like I said before, not having proper stewardship and trying to give, it's like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree, and that's impossible. It's going to make things a lot harder. And like I told you in the last episode, stewardship, it touches more than just money, but I want to focus on this within I feel like money is a more relatable thing that we all can just talk about, but that's what Jesus was saying. So as we rightly divide the scriptures, our security is not— it shouldn't be rooted in our bank balance, our investment portfolio. Now, and I really need some room for this because it's just like, okay, what are you— do I do This is the thing, this is where wisdom comes into place. That's not an excuse to not build your bank balance and your investment portfolio and your savings. If we were properly stewarding over it, and let's say like God say, okay, you know, you need to save some money, but you like, man, I'm trying to live my best life. And Lord, challenge you, like, put back $500 a month for 6 months. I need you there for 6 months, and you can drop back down to $100 a month, okay? And you can do it. Let's say if it's like you really can do it, but you just, you trip out the trip, you know, I deserve this because I deserve— get us in a lot of trouble, Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes what we deserve don't match our checkbook. That's just the truth. It don't, it don't, it, it does not match. I don't believe that God is gonna— never mind, I'm gonna leave that alone. What I'm saying is this, if God, or you know, he worked through someone and that's what you— and like truly it's like, okay, you making this money, whatever, and it's like you can put back $500 a month for 6 months, you like, man, whatever, I got stuff I need to do. Okay, then 6, 7, 8 months down the road, something happens where it costs you $1,800, $2,100. Now you got to go max out your credit card or borrow money because you deserved, or you was out here living your best life. You just wasn't— basically, in other words, you weren't properly stewarding over your money. Okay, now you praying to God for provision. But the Lord's saying your provision was in it, saving that money. So it's not that it's rooted that you're like, okay, well now, Tim, you saying that I should be trusting God and it shouldn't be in my investment portfolio or savings. I think, no, you gotta rightly divide. What's the common thing? Mindset and poor stewardship. That's what I'm saying. So as I say, you know, my wife and I, as we save money and we invest and we pay off things and stuff like that, I believe God can work. Our provision can be in our savings account sometimes because we're, we're probably— so we're giving, we're sowing, we're putting back, we're paying ourselves first, you know, after sowing to God first and then paying ourselves. Then we're paying the certain things. We're thinking, Lexi, we're sitting down and praying over things and making decisions to, to properly steward God's money. That's what's going to enable certain things— generosity, provision. But let's say if it's that, I believe in my heart that you were giving, you were tithing, and you're only putting back little by little, but you were still probably storing, but you could do $500 a month, and something happens. I believe by the power of God that need would get met. I do. But a lot of us, God has blessed us. Thank you, God. He has blessed us with enough income, surplus income, to sow, pay ourselves, save, invest, to bring forth increase through the proper channels or whatever vehicles within today's world. But we eat it up. That's, that's— I believe in my heart that's the truth. So that's why I say mindset is extremely important when it comes to this, because without the right mindset, we're just not going to get the results that we want. That's just, that's just the truth of it. So if you— just to really unpack this, as you know, we get ready to close this episode out I want you to think about two different managers, and this is just a faint example, you know, this is just kind of bring an illustration to bring this point home. I want you to think about you working a job and you— it's two different managers and they are totally different in their nature, character, whatever, a lack of character, and they're not on one accord, and you always feel straddled. One is more of a servant leader, he's about building you up he challenges you, or she or he challenges you, and they want the best for you, and it's all about intent. But the other one, you know, she or he, they are challenging you, but it's not challenge you, challenging you in a way as the first one was doing. This is more so about them getting glorified. It's all about— they're self-centered, so they're demanding, they're pushing you, but it's all— but they tear you down, but it's all to just basically benefit them. They don't care nothing about you. Lack of intent, lack of character. We would feel— I would feel extremely straddled, very And I would want to devote myself to the first one because they have my best interest at heart. They're challenging me. It might look the same, but it's not. It's the other one. It's like, well, damn, and the other one kind of stretch. No, this one is about building you. The other one, like I said, is just trying to exhaust you and don't want nothing for you, don't care less if you succeed or fail. So in that same example, to go back to Matthew 6:24, when he talks about not you know, we can't serve two masters, about, you know, you cannot serve God and money. I want you to just think about that illustration because that's what we look like when we trying to serve God and money. Gotta pick one because like I say, either you are going to steward over it or it's going to steward over you and you're going to become a slave to it. So like I say, man, when Jesus was talking about blessed and poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yes, he declared that, like, that is true. Before we can enter God's kingdom, we must recognize our— that we are worthless of our own spiritual currency. It is a spiritual bankruptcy, saying that my works cannot save me. He was not talking about financial poverty, and we have to lose that mindset within the church. We need to stir up our gift that he has blessed us with. We need to cultivate. We— people need to be coming to us for us to serve the world, because if you serve enough people, I'm telling you, man, with your gifts, I believe by my spirit they will make room for you. And then as you take that money and you do the right things and learn how to steward over it, just over a matter of time, consistency— consistency compounds. But we can also choose to be inconsistent, which will compound in a negative way. So I'm telling you, like, we, we got to get that understanding. We cannot have this poverty mindset. And let me back— I just want to back up because I have to say this, because I know I was about to close, but I do want to make this point. A lot of times, if we aren't careful, what leads us to becoming a slave to our money is our poverty mindset in the spirit. Not when it comes to Matthew 5:3. But a poverty mindset is that we don't see God as the source. We can say that all day, God is the source, God is the source, God is the source. But when we test it and we challenge with that, what are we going to do? Because right now someone can call me— God forbid— but they could call and lay my wife and I both off at the same time at her job and my job. Have we been stewarding over? Have we been given? So now what we're going to be hopefully requesting of people, like, Lord, take care of us. And for the Lord, he works through his people, so people are going to have to give, people are going to have to sow for— in order for us to get a financial blessing. But have we been doing the same thing? Have we been sowing into the kingdom of God? So that's what I'm saying. Or should I say this? Have we been sowing to help advance the kingdom of God with our time, with our talents, with our resources, with our money? This is what we have to think about. So it's just rightly dividing the scripture. Mindset is so important, and I really hope that this, this, this impacts you. So don't pick and choose the scriptures to Basically, don't pick and choose the scriptures to try to make them apply to just what you want them to apply to, because denying the truth— it doesn't— denying the facts doesn't make it true, is what I'm trying to say. So mindset is very critical if you want to succeed at just about anything in life. Hey, so I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to this content today. If it has impacted you in any kind of way, I want to encourage you to share it on your social media feed with family and friends. And if you desire to connect with me on a more deeper level, go to www.timothyprattjr.org where you'll get more information on how to do that. With that being said, continue to have a blessed day, and Lord's will, I'll see you next time.