God’s Plan For Man, author: Dake
Laws of Prosperity
Pg 217
Contrary to common opinion, God wants you to be prosperous. If this is a fact, and it is, then God will see to it that you are prosperous if you will learn the laws of prosperity and co-operate with them and with God in all things. Why should it be God’s will for you to lack the things you need in life if you are His child, and then give them to rebels against Him? This does not make sense, and until Christina wake up to believe the whole Bible and demand that their leaders teach the whole truth or quit, we will never see prosperity, happiness, and success among all Christians as they should be.
God has created in the world an abundance of everything that men need, and there is enough for all. He laid down certain laws of life and of prosperity, and all He asks us to do is to obey these laws. These laws are plainly revealed in the Bible, and they are given for all men to follow. Those who follow them will surely reap the benefits promised to all alike. God’s providence is over all His creation, and He has given abundant promises for all the needs of men. One cannot read all the many promises listed without being convinced that it is the highest will of God to bless His children with prosperity and all they need and want in life here and now. Let it be firmly settled then that you are in harmony with the will of God when you desire to prosper and be in health and have victory over sin and failure in life.
2. THE SECOND LAW TO FOLLOW IS TO MAKE GOD YOUR PARTNER IN LIFE.
Work with Him and obey His own laws of prosperity. Make Him the Senior
Partner in your business. Give him the seat at the head of the table in
all your business conferences. Recognize Him in all that you do. Keep in
touch with Him concerning His guidance in every business deal.
Recognize His presence with you always. Talk to Him about your problems
as you would talk to your best friend. Turn all your problems over to
Him. Don't make a move without feeling sure that it is the will of God
and for the best interest of all concerned.
If you will give all your hard problems to God to solve; if you will
simply stop fretting and worrying over them and trust God with all your
heart to work things out to His glory and your good, He will do it.
After turning things over to God, don't interfere and spoil things. Stay
out of them until God works them out. Don't be impatient and
unbelieving. If God is your Senior Partner and if He is running your
business, trust Him, for no one could operate it better. Since you
believe that God can handle all your problems better than you can, let
Him do it. He will remove all obstacles. He will work for your good.
Believe His Word that “all things work together for good to them that
love the Lord, to them who are called according to his purpose” (Rom.
8:28). Since God cannot fail, you cannot fail if you keep all things
committed to Him and trust Him to keep you and make you a success in
life.
God
never meant for His children to become failures, as such failures are a
reflection upon Him, just as any failing, sinful, and rebellious child
would bring disgrace upon his parents. Do you think God is any
different? Do you think He would be glorified by failures on behalf of
His children or derive any pleasure from them? Do you think He would
desire the worst for His children instead of the best? No! Jesus taught
us that God loved us more than we love our children (Mt. 7:7-11). We are
the only ones that hold back the floodgates of God's abundant
blessings, and, as long as we believe that God is a hard, unloving
Father, we cannot hope to receive these benefits. The truth is that
nothing makes God happier than to see His people blessed, happy, and
successful in all that they do in life. Let it be remembered that we
said His children are not rebels against Him, for they are children of
the devil (Jn. 8:44; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Jn. 3:8-10). Real children of God
will not get into any business that is sinful; so we say that any
legitimate business and anything that is worthwhile God will prosper in
this phase of life.
Making God your partner implies full surrender of your life to Him and
obedience to His Word in all things with constant dependence upon God to
know His will and His ways, which cause you to prosper. Without God's
approval and help you are already headed for failure, but with Him
guiding your every step, you cannot fail. Be sure that your plans,
ambitions, and undertakings are all in harmony with the highest will of
God and then go ahead, fearing nothing. If you want to overcome the
obstacles that have been holding you back, start right now by taking God
into your life and obeying Him and He will lead you into prosperity. It
is only when you stop trying to do everything on your own and quit
leaving Him out of your affairs that you will begin to experience God.
It is at this point that His life, His wisdom, and His power will begin
to be manifest in your life. Christ came to give life and give it more
abundantly, so there is no limitation in God unless you limit Him by
your unbelief and failure to appropriate the promised benefits (Jn.
10:10).
3. THE THIRD LAW OF PROSPERITY IS TO GET INTO THE LIFEWORK THAT YOU FEEL GOD WOULD HAVE YOU IN OR FOR WHICH YOU ARE BEST SUITED.
God has a lifework for you, and you can be extremely happy and
successful if you find that work and make God your life-long partner. If
your lifework is not clear to you, get this settled once and forever.
At least you can know what your present work is at all times, and if
there comes a time when your work should be changed, you will move in
the will of God as you have been doing. As you go along, God will guide
you and open up doors of opportunity for you to step into. You are
capable of filling your own place in life, and you can do your work
better than anyone else can. Put your whole life into your work,
realizing it is for God and others that you labor. The thing God
considers is whether we work honestly and faithfully at our calling in
life. This is all that He asks, and He will reward us accordingly. Real
happiness lies in liking what we are called to do, not in doing
something solely because we think we would like it. You can be very
unhappy if you permit yourself to think that you are in the wrong kind
of lifework. Thousands of people are in the right kind of work and are
unhappy because they yearn for the wrong kind of work. When plans do not
materialize or when doors close to you in one occupation, look to God,
who will open doors for you in another.
Become content with your lot in life and make a success of what you are
currently doing, and then you will be capable of success in other
areas. But if you do not succeed at any one thing and are always
dissatisfied with every kind of work, it is not the work that is wrong,
it is you. You must get hold of yourself and conquer that shiftless
spirit, and God will help you become stable, contented, successful, and
happy in His will in any kind of honest work.
Ask God to guide you into your lifework and in His best plan for you.
Talk things over with Him and wait for His guidance, which will come in
many ways you may not at first understand. If you are in your right
work, seek God in order to open up even greater fields of service. If
you are in the wrong work, much prayer will open up the right door for
you. Be constantly in tune with God and praise Him for His help in life.
Thank Him for the work you already have. Act as if God is guiding you.
Be happy and contented in your work, and you will be a success.
4. THE FOURTH LAW OF PROSPERITY IS FAITH IN GOD.
You must believe that God loves you and that He is with you, giving you
strength to overcome all hindrances to your happiness and success in
life. All men who have made a success in life have had to finally
overcome all opposition to their progress. The lives of successful
people abound in stories of how they overcame obstacles and finally
succeeded. These challenges will continue through life even in success
and happiness. It is in the struggles of life that you need faith in
God. All your obstacles are small and shrink to nothingness when
compared to the promises of God and the faith in God that they create.
When your troubles seem like giants, steal away in secret and pray. Get
a good night's rest. Read the promises of God, have faith in Him, and
they will become very small. If your problems persist, get your mind off
them, turn them over to God and forget them for the time being, and you
will find that God will take care of them better than you ever could.
We are told to “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he
shall bring it to pass” (Ps. 37:5). This law of success will work
without fail because God's Word cannot fail. The more you do this and
the less you think of hindrances in your life, the more you will
overcome them.
God is your Father if you have surrendered to Him. He can be trusted.
He will keep His promises better than any earthly friend will. Get His
promises in you and abide in Him, then “ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7). What a blessing to know that God
is with you and by faith in Him you can do all things and can get what
you want! Your enemies cannot triumph. Your problems cannot defeat you.
God cannot fail. The minute you are tempted to worry and fret about some
problem, turn it over to God. He can see further than you can; He can
work out things that are invisible to you. Throw your worries away and
become reckless in faith and confidence in God and accept what comes
with peace and thankfulness. “This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith” (1 Jn. 5:1-4).
5.
THE FIFTH LAW OF PROSPERITY IS TO BE UNAFRAID IN LAUNCHING OUT INTO NEW
VENTURES AND TO MAKE THE BEST OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME.
Many men could have been prosperous in life if they had not been afraid
to take hold of opportunities that came to them. Have no fear; if you
have been praying for things to happen that would cause you to be
prosperous, God is sure to open up many doors of opportunity. You must
not be afraid to enter them under the guidance of God. Have confidence
in yourself and in God that He is leading you and that you cannot fail.
In going into new ventures, be led of God as to how far to go and how
much to invest. Do not go into debt beyond your ability to pay. Do not
become reckless and act unwisely. Be led of God and go as far as you
feel He would have you go and as far as common sense dictates. Do not
get your eyes on sudden riches and over step yourself. You can always
grow, and a steady, healthy growth in business with security is better
than blowing a bubble beyond the bursting point. Act sensibly and wisely
and you will succeed. Let the law of increase work for you normally.
Stay within your ability to take care of business and build on a solid
foundation that will last.
6. THE SIXTH LAW OF PROSPERITY IS TO FOLLOW CERTAIN BUSINESS PRINCIPLES TAUGHT IN SCRIPTURE.
Paul laid down some business principles when he said, “Let love be
without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is
good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in
honour preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in
spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints;
given to hospitality; bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse
not; rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep . .
. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil.
Provide things honest in the sight of all men . . . Be not overcome of
evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom.12:9-21). If one will obey these
principles in business he cannot help becoming happy, prosperous, and
successful in all that he undertakes.
Paul further taught Christians, “That ye study to be quiet, and to do
your own business, and work with your own hands, as we commanded you:
that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may
have lack of nothing” (1 Thess. 4:11-12). Solomon said, “Seest thou a
man diligent in business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not
stand before mean [obscure, or unknown] men” (Prov. 22:29).
These passages teach that a man should be constantly at the job of
making a success. Do not let any grass grow under your feet. Use every
legitimate means of success and do not neglect one opportunity to reach
your goal. This may mean self-sacrifice to begin with. It will mean many
hours of hard work. It will mean much prayer to God for guidance. It
will mean being honest with all men and living to serve others by your
business. Some people do not care to succeed in life enough to obey the
laws of prosperity. They are naturally shiftless, careless, indifferent,
and unconcerned about their responsibilities. They would not put forth
the least effort beyond what they feel like doing in order to succeed.
They are like sinners who know they are lost and doomed to Hell and
don't care. Or they are like some sick people who know how to get well
but will not put forth the effort to meet the necessary conditions. If
sinners cared whether or not they were going to Hell, not one of them
would neglect his salvation for one minute. Likewise, some men would
succeed in life if they cared to put forth their best effort to make a
success. If you do not put forth the proper effort to prosper, do not
expect God to bless you with prosperity.
7. THE SEVENTH LAW OF SUCCESS IS TO OBEY THE GOLDEN RULE.
This means that you will always do unto others as you would have them
do unto you. If you do this you will never take advantage of any man in
order to prosper, but will always be fair and square in all of your
business dealings, giving your customers value for money received. You
will never skimp in making products, or cheat in selling them. You will
never misrepresent one item you sell and will never sell a product that
you would not use yourself. You will never be dishonest with any man,
but will always tell the truth. You will never be selfish. You will
always be friendly, courteous, helpful, happy, and committed to serve
your fellow man and to please God. You will always let your customers
know how you appreciate their business and show them how you seek to be
of service to them.
You must be a real human being and make people feel that they would
like to be around you. You can be that kind of man or woman. No matter
what your age, appearance, education, or position in life, you can be
real and attractive in your personality. If you will let Christ live in
and through you, He will make you free from all dullness and will fill
your life with charm and influence. Power and radiance come from a
change of heart and from Christ's living in you. Regardless of age, one
can have charm, attractiveness and influence. These qualities cannot be
put on in the beauty parlor. They must come from the inward man. It is
all right to be as attractive as you can be outwardly, and this will
help you, but let the greatest attraction be “the hidden man of the
heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Pet.
3:1-4).
8. ONE UNFAILING LAW OF PROSPERITY IS TO “SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
If we do this we are promised, “and all these things [blessings of
life] shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33). The truth is that this puts
the interests of the kingdom of God and of others before our own. In
doing this we must recognize that a man's life does not consist of the
abundance of the things he possesses (Lk. 12:15). If we can ever learn
this lesson, we can easily be free from covetousness, which makes us
live only for self. Jesus said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it:
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Mt. 10:39). In
other words, the man that is self-centered and holds on to those things
of life to please and satisfy only himself, will lose the reality of
true living and be banished from eternal society where everyone
consecrates himself like God, to do those things that are best for all
society. But if we will give up our selfish living and seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, we will receive “an hundredfold”
in this life and in the life to come, everlasting life. Christ, Himself
assures us of this in Mt. 19:27-30.
Giving up self-interests for those of the kingdom of God means
consecration to living for the good of all men and the betterment of the
society of which we are a part. If everyone would live for the best
good of all concerned, we would have a heaven on Earth. Paul said, “For
none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself . . . For
whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto
the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's” (Rom.
14:7-11).
9. ONE LAW OF PROSPERITY IS THAT OF GIVING TO OTHERS.
Generally, the person who goes through life always wanting to know what
he is going to get out of everything he does, makes a failure and loses
what he already has. He loses his friends and becomes an outcast from
society. No one wants to be around him, and he goes through life alone.
If one would start out with the idea of giving instead of getting he
would succeed. Give service to men in your business and you will
prosper. Bless men and seek God and His righteousness, and all the
blessings you need in this life will be added unto you. If there is one
thing that you can succeed in life doing, it is giving. One can always
give, and if he will do this he will have to give. This is a law that
never fails. Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give
into your bosom” (Lk. 6:38). People may temporarily hinder you in making
money, but they cannot hinder you from giving. No one wants to hinder
you in this phase of life. You become a hero when you give. You are a
wonderful person to everybody as long as you have things to give and as
long as you are generous to others.
Something wonderful happens when you give to others. Begin by giving
yourself to God and to others to serve them. Give your good will, your
wishes, your time, your talents, your life, and your all; and you will
begin receiving from both God and men whom you bless. Once in a while
you may find one who will not give to you in return, but for each one
who does not, there will be many who give back to you in appreciation
for what you are giving them. You should give your all to the service of
God and man, not because you expect something in return, but because
you know it is right and because it is your nature, and the giving back
to you will be a natural result. You will have many friends who will be
pulling for you to succeed in anything you undertake. They will put
forth every effort to help you succeed. One will show you how to make
more money. Another will cause an open door of blessing here and one
there. Others will give you this and that in life that will help you in
the time of need.
As you are prospered materially and spiritually, give out to help
others, and your supply will never be exhausted. “Give and it shall be
given you” is not only a divine law but it is also a divine promise.
Thus, the Christian will prosper, and as he does, he should give himself
to hospitality, remembering that “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor:
therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 12:13; 13:10). Paul
said, “He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that
soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully . . . God is able to make
all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath
dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth
forever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread
for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness;) Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness,
which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the ministration of
this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant
also by many thanksgivings unto God” (2 Cor. 9:6-12).
10.
THE LAST LAW OF PROSPERITY WE WILL MENTION IS TO “HONOUR THE LORD WITH
THY SUBSTANCE, AND WITH THE FIRSTFRUITS OF ALL THINE INCREASE” (Prov.
3:6-12).
If we do this we have the promise, “So shall thy barns be filled with
plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” We also have the
promise in Mal. 3:10-11, that if we would honour God and pay our
tithes, He would open the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings that
we would not be able to receive, and He would rebuke the devourer and
bless the works of our hands.
In this passage in Malachi we have an accusation by God that He was
being robbed; we have a command to bring all the tithes into the
storehouse; and we have a challenge by God to prove Him and see if He
would not cause prosperity. If one will pay his tithes (ten percent of
all his income, wages, increase or profit) to the Lord, and keep
accurate records so that there will be no mistakes, God is under
obligation to meet His challenge.
Mr. Kerr of the Kerr-Mason fruit jar fame started tithing when he was
in debt. He had a mortgage on his home and was worried and distressed
about his finances. Within three months after beginning to tithe,
unexpected and unforeseen blessings came to him in the form of a fruit
jar patent, and as he so aptly put it, “God opened my eyes to see His
love and faithfulness to His promises.” That same year with $100.00 and a
strong faith in God's tithing promises contained in Mal. 3:10, he
organized a corporation which has grown beyond bounds.
I have never seen nor heard of a man that has not been blessed when he
has been faithful in tithing with faith in God's promises and with faith
that God will meet His own obligation to bless in material things.
There are no testimonies, as far as I know, of rich men commencing to
tithe, but there are many testimonies of men who began to tithe when
they were poor and they are now rich. A few may be enumerated as
follows:
· Mr. Crowell, founder of the Quaker Oats Company.
· Mr. Colgate, founder of Colgate soaps, perfumes and powders.
· Mr. Proctor of the Ivory Soap Company.
· Hyde of “Mentholatum” fame.
· Henry Delaney of Resinol Ointment renown.
· Mr. Matthias Baldwin, founder of the Baldwin Locomotive Industry.
· R. G. LeTourneau, maker of large earth-moving equipment.
Men cannot practice the above-mentioned laws of prosperity without
being prosperous. They cannot truly give themselves to God and others to
be a blessing in business or otherwise without reaping the rich rewards
promised in the laws of prosperity. If you want to prosper, set your
own house in order and follow faithfully the laws stated above, and soon
God will lead you into blessings that you never thought were possible.
Apply yourself to a strict observance of these laws and principles and
watch things happen that will bless you more than you are blessing
others.
Above taken from: Finis Jennings Dake , God's Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, Georgia: Dake Publishing Inc., 1977), pp. 217-223.
( ... and already typed out for me at: http://www.titheandofferingscriptures.com/infopages.php?info_id=39 : )