FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR MINISTRERS & MINISTRIES: LEAD YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE FIRST

“Fools sometimes make money, but money also sometimes makes fools”

I have come to believe that before you try to lead others in the church or ministry, you must take care of things in your life first. “Your life, not your library defines your theology And once your life is wrong, your theology will be wrong too. “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves” Harry S. Truman

True and healthy leadership starts from you and who you are. The power behind your ministry and ministrations is the power of the life you are living. True ministry is more of who you are than what you do or accomplish. Before you attempt to lead others, start with yourself first. Especially in your financial life, because money is the true test of who you are and a magnifier of men’s hearts. Money reveals what is in you. Prophet Balaam failed to lead himself financially and he crumbled his life and prophetic ministry because of money and gifts Numbers 22:9-18 Rev 2:14.

A FOUNDATION FOR LEADING YOURSELF FINANCIALLY-1 Tim. 6:17-19; Luke 21:34-36; Pro. 16:32, 25:28.

To lead yourself is to be free from the spirit of Mammon, to make a success of your finances, to be free from wrong attitudes to money, to have integrity, transparency in money matters, to be free from covetous practices in ministry and be a godly financial model

• Abraham has integrity here Gen. 14:22.23
• Moses has integrity here-Numbers 16.15
• Samuel has integrity here-1 Sam. 12.2-5
• Jesus has integrity here John 13:29
• Peter has integrity here-Acts 8.19-21
• Paul has integrity here-11 Cor. 7:2

You must be free from the love of money, if you are really going to emulate our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles You must free yourself from the tendency to do ministry for money and gauge your success in ministry only on financial parameters. You must pursue integrity, honesty and transparency in financial matters. This is an internal, inward battle you must fight and win, because when money takes center stage in the heart, God has been dethroned.

B. YOU AND MONEY Job 36:11; 22:21-26

It is crucial to sit down, think, pray and talk to money, because you will need and work with it in ministry Determine the place and position you will give to money in your life and ministry. Determine who will be the Master between you and money.

• You either rule money or money will rule your life and work.
• If you don’t control money, it will surely control you
• Poor money attitudes lead to backsliding and hell
• Wrong handling of money brings crisis and chaos
• Money has no eternity for anyone, yet we die in trying to get it.
• God becomes a stranger in the heart where money rules.
• “If you don’t conquer me I will conquer you and your ministry
• Money has destroyed many ministers and ministries, take care with it.

Money is divinely meant to bring personal and moderate comfort to your life, to bring joy to others rough your giving, to help interpret the dreams of ethers to add value to others, to expand the frontiers of God’s kingdom, to take the gospel to unreach places, to send it ahead of you to heaven by investing it in the poor, widows, fatherless and down-trodden and to sponsor missionaries.

Recommended Reading
PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
The Fruit of the Spirit: Cultivating Christ-like Character
PRODUCTIVITY: The Master Key of Abundance – New!

But if you don’t determine ahead of time, you will not be able to fulfill the purpose of money whenever God sends it to your life and ministry

C. HOW TO LEAD YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE WELL

1. Learn all you could about money and finances Pro. 18:15. When you don’t know what you should, money will run away from you.
2. Be financially intelligent Pro. 10:14. Develop the capacity, wisdom to manage and multiply money aright.
3. Draw near unto the Lord-Job 22:21-26. The favour of God is life. If you know the Lord intimately, silver and gold will answer to you.
4. Break all money curses over your life. Make sure you repent and restitute the wrong handlings of money that has brought curses to your life, either from your parents, boss, workers, leaders and friends.
5. Grow out from your wrong money attitudes. Let God purge you free from covetousness, greed, avarice, stinginess and selfishness. The more you are free the more money becomes your servant not your master.
6. Have a good work or calling that God can bless. 90% of your prayer for money will be answered through your work. Do honest work that blesses others.
7. Don’t be quick in becoming full time. minister. You must have a source of income that God will bless. Becoming full time with no source of income except salary will put you at the mercy of money bags in the church
8. Recognize God’s financial dealings in your life. He can deal with you as with Adam – He supplied all his need without asking. He can deal with you as with Moses-He ask him to go and ask from people. He can deal with you as with Paul-He worked with his hands and blessed his work.
9. Patiently and strategically build up your finances. It takes time to build godly money It takes saving, investing and prayers
10. Pray for financial partners. God can raise people and touch their hearts to minister to your needs as it was in Jesus’ ministry-Luke 8.2-3. Matt. 27-57-59
11. Your income must be more than your expenses Cut your cloth according to your cloth, Don’t have too many dependents and large family.
12. Work on your personal ministry. Grow and become someone that can be invited. Develop yourself in an area than you can become a respected voice Grow to become someone others will pay to come and listen to your tapes, books, CDs and resources are source of income
13. Develop your capacity to handle Money. You must become God’s bank and God’s pocket. Your capacity to handle money will be revealed by your ability to release it upward and outward at the right time
14. Be a generous giver. Be free from stinginess and tightfistedness. Give your tithes, offerings, seeds to God. men of God, people of God and needy people. Abundance mentality will help you to give Money is never meant to be hoarded, but to be continually released upward and outward
15. Have at least Four (4) streams of Income. Your money must never come from one source. You must have at least four honorariums, emoluments, books, rent.