What is true prosperity and how do I achieve it?

One of my goals in life is to know the word and secondly to know people. I strongly desire to be an expert of the word and people. Why? Because the thing I see constant in people is problems and the thing I see constant in the word is solutions, so if I can marry the two, that's what we call a miracle or a breakthrough. Wisdom is the ability to discern the problem, and then connect it to the right answer. In other words if you have a health problem, i don't need to try to sell you a car, i need to sell you a gym membership or health insurance. It is in connecting the right solution to the right problem.

One of the problems that I see that has created the economic crises we are living in is the desire to keep up with the Jone's. We go through life judging our success and prosperity by the achievements and the accumulation of stuff. We look at television and see a certain lifestyle and because we are living on a lower level, we think we are a failure. We see CRIBS, or Pimp my ride and see a certain lifestyle and then believe if I can get that house and drive that car or wear those clothes then I will have arrived. I even hear preachers who take the worlds definition of prosperity and then go to the bible and say this is how you get that.

Have you ever heard someone say if God this for me, He will do it for you, or if I have got it, you can get it too. That is erroneous thinking. Paul said to the Church in Corinth that true fulfillment comes when I stop comparing and measuring my life by someoneelses's ruler. He said it is not wise to compare yourself to everybody else. Comparisons lead to frustration, depression, inferiority, low self esteem...

The Bible tells me something that is powerful that will free us up. Here is a powerful truth. Are you ready for this? This liberated me! Everybody does not have the same equipment (metron). David says the Lord has chosen my inheritance for me, my boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places. Paul says the secret to fulfillment and peace is contentment at whatever level we are presently on (not containment). Yes we are all loved equally by God in His eyes and yes God is no respector of persons. But the fact is everyone of us has different measures.

According to scripture we have a measure of faith, a measure of gifting (this is why when Paul said you can do all things through Christ, He did not mean all things). I can prove this to you by getting on the stage and attempting to sing. No matter how much anointing I conjure up or how much you grease me with oil, the fact remains I can't do all things, I can't sing. Now, what Paul is saying is I can do all things through the anointing (my equipment)(resident ability or potential). In other words I can do all things according to the ability that God has placed in my anointing. Everything I need to be or do is already resident in me. That's why the trap of comparisons is to chase after something I am not graced for or with, therefore I end up like a pregnant woman always in labor pain but only giving birth to air. Why? I can't have your baby and you can' t have mine (That will preach).

We have a measure of faith, gifting, talent, and grace. How do you determine your equipment? How do you determine what is within your reach? Is is by first discovering your assignment in life. God never promises to give you whatever equipment you chase after, He only promises to give you what you need to fulfill your assignment. For example if a faith preacher gets up and says because God gave me a jet, He will give you a jet. That is preposterous and what it has done is painted a false picture of prosperity and made God out to be a liar. No, the reality is to accomplish your assignment, you don't need a jet, you may need a degree, a broom, a paintbrush, a slingshot, a 5 loaves and two fish, a rod, a axehead, a pen... We spend our life chasing something we don't need and end up wasting our life, never finishing what God has assigned us to do. What is true prosperity?

Prosperity is not cars, jets, boats, a bigger house, clothes, millions of dollars. Prosperity is defined as this, it is you having everything you need to fulfill the assignment on your life! If it takes a plane for you to fulfill your assignment, then a plane is in your prosperity potential. If your assignment is a motorcycle ministry then God will give you the motorcycle. But I can't get up and say God is going to give everybody a Harley. Why? Most of you wouldn't know what to do with a Harley if you had one. Wouldn't be a shame to spend your life chasing after a Harley because so and so got one only to get one but never leave the garage.

Prosperity is you having enough to do what God has called you to do and never having to consult your checkbook to see if you can do it. Poverty is not that you live on a lower level than Donald Trump, poverty is lacking the necessary tools you need to do what you were born for. God never intended for us to get a word from God then have to consult our wallet or bank account to see if we can do it.

So what do you do when you lack the necessary equipment? You begin to call into your life what is necessary for you to do what God has called you to do. He has given you everything that pertains to life and godliness. This means He has already given everything you need to do what is within your metron, and it has your name on it, waiting for you to call it into your life. Here is one of the ways I judge this. Whenever I see something that I desire or I think I need, I check my faith meter. If I have faith for it, then it is mine positionally. Why? Hebrews tells us that Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence (title deed) of things not yet seen. Let me break it down. In order for me and Tara to fulfill the assignment of launching Freedom House this year we need and estimated $110,000. How do I know this is mine and that when I call for it, it will come. Hebrews tells me that the substance of what is in my future that I need in the present is brought into the now, from the unseen to the seen by my faith. How do I know what I have faith for? Jesus said, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray believe you receive them and you will have them. The actual Greek translation says, that whatsoever things are in your heart (desire), when you articulate those inner desires, you already have them (locked up in desire) and when you call for them, they are released in your life. Why? Because the boundary's of your capacity is determined by the measure of faith, ability, grace, and talent that is already inside of you. Therefore when you tap into your assignment, you are in a birthing position to give birth not to air, but to everything that is necessary for you fulfillment in life. In other words I come into my (moment) when I release what I am already full of. Say this out loud, prosperity is learning to push out what God has already put in me. It is learning that there are no limitations to my life, everything I need to do what I was created for is waiting on me to 1) discover my assignment 2) articulate the inner desires 3) Pursue the voices or mentors that unlock new levels in me 4) Command my mornings by calling for me desires and everything neccessary for fulfillment.

Blessings,
Craig