Over and over in His Holy Word to us, God directs us to embrace one particular state of mind…

And yet, in our perverseness, imprudence, irrationality, silliness, and foolishness, we self-generate states of mind that are totally contrary to and opposite of what God tells us to have.

This is particularly odd considering that what we really want more than anything else is the same state of mind that God wants us to have.

When we embrace, have, and hold this God-ordained state of mind, everything in our life becomes well and promising. On the other hand, without this state of mind, we feel unsettled, disconcerted, flustered and our life becomes not-well and not-promising.

I am talking about peace!

Whether they realize it or not, what people are wanting is peace…because when people possess peace, they also have the things that go along with peace: happiness, hope, optimism, faith, courage, strength, joy, and so on.

When a person possesses peace, then no matter how bad their circumstances may actually be, they can move forward with calmness, serenity, tranquility, and optimism. Conversely, when a person does not possess peace, then no matter how good their circumstances may actually be, they stay stuck in agitation, anxiety, worry, fear, tension, distress, and frustration.

Experience and observation has proven to me that the more peace a person possesses, the more successful they will be…and that the less peace a person possesses, the less successful they will be.

Peace attracts!

NON-peace repels!

Now, I am not suggesting that peace is the only determinant of success…but I am saying that possessing peace IS a VERY important aspect of success.

But really, we sort of already knew this, didn’t we? We more or less knew this because every time we read the Gospels, it reverberates in the back of our mind that “peace” was a word that Christ used often. And now, effective immediately, let’s move the inactive concept of peace out of the back halls of our mind…let’s promote it to more than just a word that Christ stated frequently…and let’s make it a state of mind that we LIVE perpetually.

For many, this will probably be a challenge because they are IN THE HABIT of dwelling upon thoughts that produce NON-peace. Listen to people talk for a few minutes…or even a few seconds…and it becomes obvious what their underlying pattern of thought is. As some examples that I frequently hear:

• I am all alone with nobody on my side.
• I am not very good at [fill in the blank]. I never have been…I never will be…and that is why I cannot be successful.
• I can never have my dream because I am unable to afford it.
• I could never be successful like some people are.
• I have a desperate need/problem…and nobody will take care of my need/problem for me.
• I have a great calling for a great ministry…but nobody will give me what I need to establish it.
• I have no way out of my troubles…and nobody to help me.
• I just need a break…but nobody will give me a break.
• I would like to shine for Christ…I would like to have a good ministry…but I have so many problems that are so big that I cannot even get started.

The question is, how much peace do you think a person looping and maximizing one of these thought-patterns is going to possess? The obvious answer is, little to none!

I have encountered many people who have BURIED their own self in a graveyard of THOUGHTS about what they do not have…what they cannot do…and what is wrong in their life. They are like Legion crying amongst the tombs (Mark 5, Luke 8)…they are people who have forsaken and rejected peace…the “way of peace have they not known” (Romans 3:17).

Now, I am absolutely talking about peace here…but I want to make a couple of important points relative to the above-listed thought-patterns.

The first point is this: people who think these non-Biblical kinds of thought-patterns are SENTENCING their own self to the very conditions and circumstances they do not want…confirmable by MANY, MANY scriptures including this one: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

These people are OBLIGATING God to give them what they do not want…they are OBLIGATING God to hold them in circumstances and conditions that they do not want.

Importantly, whether you realize it or not, you DO have a certain kind of faith…and YOUR faith IS PRODUCING after its kind. It is impossible to not-have faith. You DO have a faith of some kind…and that faith is RELIABLY PRODUCING in your life.

People frequently tell me that they just don’t have faith…but what they do not recognize or understand is that they have DEVOUT faith…ROCK-SOLID faith…POWERFULLY-PRODUCING faith. Lack of faith is NOT the problem. The problem is that they have the wrong kind of faith that IS producing what they do not want.

Over and over again I have encountered individuals whose belief/faith/thought-patterns was along the lines of: “I have a terrible problem…it is [fill in the blank]…and I cannot fix it.” And remarkably, these individuals had been able to support, hold on to, and maintain this same problem beyond anything that was humanly or naturally possible. In the natural, the problem would have LONG AGO dissipated or resolved itself…except these people’s faith was obligating God to hold the problem firmly in place…and yet, they were trying to convince me that they did not have any faith.

Again, the problem was NOT that they did not have faith. The problem was that they had TOO MUCH of the WRONG KIND of faith.

As it applies to you, what kind of faith is your faith?

You absolutely, infallibly have faith…it’s just a question of what TYPE of faith is it?

How are you using your faith?

What are you using your faith to produce in your life and in the lives of others?

Is your faith producing what you want?

Are you using your faith to hold on to problems…or, are you using your faith to see and manifest solutions and blessings?

As you consider these questions, is it perhaps time for you to upgrade and improve the kind of faith that you have and use…so that you can produce more desirable, more enjoyable things in your life and in the lives of others?

Okay…I am still talking about peace…and now, let’s delve into the second point I want to make…

In the list of thought-patterns above, notice how many of these people had FOOLISHLY placed the resolution of their problems, their well-being, and their success into the hands of “somebody else”. Notice how they FOOLISHLY wanted someone else to fix their problems. Notice how they FOOLISHLY wanted someone else to take care of their challenges and their issues for them. Notice how they FOOLISHLY wanted someone else to pick them up and set them onto the path of success.

But here is the thing: if these people do not care about their own problems enough to seriously get up and fix them, then why should anyone else care about them any more than they do? If a person does not care about their own issues enough to get up and constructively do something about them until they are conquered and resolved, then there is no reason for anyone else to care about that person’s issues either. The Bible certainly backs this up. For example, “if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

More to the point, how much peace can a person have if they have abdicated responsibility for their own issues? How much peace can a person have if they placed their well-being into the hands of other people? How much peace can a person have if they are stuck waiting in dependency upon someone else? Well again, the obvious answer is little to none!

The Bible plainly tells us: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:17). Bluntly, what that means is that IF a person is in a bad situation, then it is time for them to personally put learning, work, and perseverance into “departing” from the “evil” issues in their life.

If you want the same point in different terms, then consider this: “glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good” (Romans 2:10).

Now, we talk of “having” peace…but in reality, peace is NOT something you just “have”. In life, there are certain things that we “have”…and there are things we must “appropriate”. As I described above, faith is something you just “have”…and the only question is one of HOW you are using that faith…of whether you are using your faith for good, bad, or indifference. But, peace is different. Peace is one of those things that we must appropriate…meaning that peace is something we must consciously, purposely take, acquire, seize, and hold for our own use and benefit.

Of course, we sort of already know this because we are all familiar with the scripture that says: “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Similarly, Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “Thou [God] will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

But, are we actively doing what we know to do?

Well, that leads us to this truth: each person HAS DECIDED whether he or she wants the joys and benefits of peace…or if he or she wants to take pleasure in NON-peace.

Huh? What’s that?

That’s right…I said exactly what I meant. There are people who take pleasure in NON-peace. They like the pleasure of attention that their focus on their problems brings them. They like the pleasure of pity directed at them as a result of their troubles. They like the pleasure of emotionally working themselves up into a negative frenzy. They like the pleasure of negative drama stewed up between their self and others.

These people say they want peace…but they are unwilling to let go of their NON-peace “pleasures”.

However, when we become ready for the far-superior pleasures and benefits of peace, we each possess the God-given power to CHANGE our decision and to possess peace instead of non-peace. It is simply a matter of whether we really want to or not.

My advice is choose peace. My advice is appropriate peace. My advice is develop the habit of living in a state of peace. My advice is that in all things…in every area of your life…go for peace…go to peace…go in peace…stay with peace.

Of course, this is the same advice that the Apostle Paul gave us a long time ago: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace” (Romans 14:19).

“My peace I give you“, Jesus tells us. He continues on to say, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) Jesus GIVES us the opportunity and possibility of possessing His gift of peace. But, we are not required or forced to accept or receive His gift of peace. Again, it is our choice to make.

In order to possess peace, diligence and discipline are required: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)  Diligence and discipline are required…but the rewards and benefits are well worth it.

Again and again in the Gospels, we read that Jesus “held his peace“. This does NOT mean that He was sitting or standing in silence while negative thoughts ran through his mind. It means literally that He silently HELD his mind on God-thoughts…He HELD his mind on positive faith. Christ understood that He had a purpose and a direction…and He did not allow anything to sway Him from the state of mind that He needed to possess in order to fulfill his purpose and move forward in His direction.

Similarly, again and again, as we read of the miracles of Christ, we find that “peace” was a significant part of the equation. “Peace be still“, “go in peace“, and “peace be with you” were key decrees that corresponded with many miracles.

By appropriating peace…and by possessing peace as your dominant state of mind, you eliminate all possible failure from your life…and the ONLY remaining option is a prosperous swing upward. Sure, troubles and trials may arise…but with peace…you will come through those troubles and trials all the better off for having gone through them.

And, if you cannot seem to muster up the ability to appropriate and possess peace, then bluntly, that means you have given too much space within yourself to the “lusts of the flesh”…to the negative thoughts that produce negative emotions…all of which produces NON-action…and not enough space to proper, Biblically-based, Godly thoughts…which produce good-action. (Acts 10:36)

I’ll close with this…

“LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.” (Isaiah 26:12)

Isn’t that a marvelous, beautiful, encouraging verse?

The Lord HAS ordained peace for YOU!  God WANTS you to HAVE peace.  And, good works and good outcomes ARE within you…because God PUT them there!  That means no matter who you are…where you are at…or what you have or do not have…you DO have the ability to learn, work, create, produce, and deliver something that is good, beneficial, useful, helpful, and valuable…which means you have the ability to manifest the blessings and success in YOUR life that God has placed within you.

YOU are like the MIGHTY acorn…everything needed to become a great and MIGHTY oak tree is contained within that acorn…and everything needed to become a great and mighty person for God and for good is contained within you…and all you have to do is IMPLANT yourself with thoughts of peace…with thoughts of goodness and blessings…and start learning and working towards delivering something of value, benefit, or service to some person or group of people.

Of course, before that can happen, you will have to STOP looping NON-peaceful thoughts…you will have to let go of all your NON-peace “pleasures”.  But, the peace and blessings that start coming to you will be well worth stopping and letting go of NON-peace.  I promise you.  More importantly, God’s Word promises you!

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Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

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Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus – God’s Millionaires – Christian Millionaire

What is the mindset…the mentality…of poverty and failure…and how can we make sure we have the mindset of prosperity and success?

Well, the first “operating characteristic” of someone with a poverty mentality is a perpetual FEAR of shortage and lack of money and other resources.

As I write this, we have an unusually high amount of snow on the ground for our area of the country…but before the snow ever came…as the newscasters were forecasting the snow…you could literally SEE and FEEL the FEAR as people thronged stores and purchased “stuff” in near hysteria…you could literally see the FEAR within them feeding off of the FEAR in other people.

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with being prepared…but these people were not just getting prepared…they were buying without any reason or rationalism…they were buying as if they would NEVER have access to supplies again.

FEAR was what was driving them. What was evidenced and manifested in response to an abnormal weather forecast is nothing more than an expression of the underlying problem…FEAR of shortage and lack. And, the FEAR response that was easily observed in these shoppers in response to the weather is the same FEAR that these people feel and operate from in the area of money.

This leads us to the next thing…

You would think that with all this FEAR, these people would SAVE and STORE UP a little something so they would have a little “breathing room” financially…so they wouldn’t have to feel that FEAR as strongly.

But they don’t!

Oddly, these people with a poverty mentality spend EVERYTHING they have…and often MORE than they actually have…on something that will give them some form of IMMEDIATE fleshly pleasure and gratification.

They are unwilling to delay even the SMALLEST immediate pleasure for a LARGER pleasure later on. They are unwilling to deny themselves ANY immediate pleasure. IF they can come up with A means by which they can obtain an IMMEDIATE pleasure, then they ARE going to do it.

This is why they live paycheck to paycheck. This IS why this week’s paycheck is gone before next week even gets here.

And actually, that is part of why they feel so much FEAR…they KNOW in their heart-of-hearts that they are NOT being WISE in the LONG-TERM. They KNOW they are not LEARNING wisely…they KNOW they are not WORKING wisely…they KNOW they are not USING RESOURCES wisely…and therefore, FEAR AND GUILT underlies everything they do…which drives them to continue using their resources unwisely so they can feel better NOW…which means their situation keeps on getting worse and worse.

Then, they look around for some person who IS learning wisely, working wisely, and using their resources wisely…and they want THAT person to “bail” them out of their ever worsening “mess” that THEY are creating for themselves.

It is a destructive, unhappy, self-esteem-destroying cycle they keep themselves in.

There’s more…

The Bible tells us, it rains on the just and on the unjust…which means good and bad things happen to EVERYBODY…no matter who you are, what you have, or where you live. But, people with a poverty / failure mentality are “able” to draw TWICE the “bad experiences” into their life as prosperous / successful people.

How do they do that?

It’s easy…they dwell upon…focus upon…and concentrate upon everything “bad” that really HAS happened…and then, they IMAGINE…they FABRICATE IN THEIR MIND…even more “bad” experiences, situations, or events happening to them…which means they get to FEEL the feelings of even more “bad experiences” happening to them…even though it has not (YET) happened in the realm of reality.

Some people are so good at this that they are even “able” to draw THREE TIMES the “bad experiences” into their life by going back into past memories of good experiences, conditions, circumstances or events…and recasting what really happened…so that (in their mind) their situation turned out badly for them instead of good…which means again, they get to FEEL the feelings of even more “bad experiences” happening to them.

What these people don’t realize is that they are literally re-mapping their future to be filled with “bad experiences”. They are “telling” God that they want all the “bad experiences” that they really do not want.

Prosperous / successful people DO NOT use their mind in these negative ways. If something bad REALLY happens in their experience, then they “take their hits” as they continue on learning wisely, working wisely, and using their resources wisely…which means they are mapping a future of greater good to enjoy.

If you are driving on a snow and ice covered road, you KNOW that once you are moving, you better not slow down or stop or you are LIKELY to get STUCK! And that’s how it is in life too…if you slow down or stop when something “bad” happens, well then, you are LIKELY to get STUCK right there where you can spend a LONG TIME dealing with that “bad” thing.

That is why prosperous / successful people keep themselves focused on moving forward, onward, upward, and creating greater good…so they maintain enough “traction” that they never end up STUCK somewhere on the side of life’s road going NOWHERE.

Prosperous / successful people DO NOT spend their money on IMMEDIATE fleshly pleasure and gratification UNLESS they can TRULY afford the luxury of doing so. Instead, they USE money for the greatest LONG-TERM increase and enjoyment — which soon enough puts them in a position where they CAN afford personal luxuries from time to time.

This is why prosperous / successful people are able to enjoy life MORE. IF they DIRECT money into something, it WILL BE money WELL DIRECTED because they KNOW it will produce a POSITIVE RETURN for them in some way that is significant, meaningful, and important to them.

Prosperous / successful people are NOT frivolous with their time, money, or resources. But, people who have the poverty / lack / failure mentality…the people who can LEAST afford it…are the MOST frivolous with their time, money, and resources.

Prosperous / successful people DO NOT operate from a place of FEAR. They KNOW that God WILL supply ALL their need…they KNOW that God WILL provide the opportunities for them to receive THEIR blessings AS THEY DO THEIR PART OF LEARNING WISELY, WORKING WISELY, AND USING THEIR RESOURCES WISELY.

This leads to the next major difference between those who have the poverty / failure mentality and those who have the prosperity / success mentality…

This could be one of the most important concepts I have ever shared with you…

Prosperous / successful people understand that there are DEEP, multi-level impacts, effects, consequences, and reverberations in relation to money and how it is used.

Allow me to illustrate…

People who research such things tell us that the typical American has between $3,000 and $8,000 of credit card debt. These are people who are ALREADY living paycheck to paycheck…they are ALREADY living to the maximum extent of their means…and yet, they have spent THOUSANDS of dollars BEYOND what they can afford.

This raises an important question; what were these THOUSANDS of dollars spent on?

Well, SOME of this money was for some “emergency”…maybe a vehicle needed some major work…or maybe some health problems cropped up…and because these people did not have a RESERVE in place for such an emergency, they were FORCED to BORROW from somebody who DID have a reserve…and they get to pay PAINFULLY for the right to borrow against somebody else’s reserve.

Now, if an unexpected / unplanned emergency arises, and you don’t have the reserve to handle it, then you just do what you’ve got to do.  But having said this, EVERYBODY “knows” that from time to time, “emergency” issues of one kind or another WILL arise in life.  So, would it not be WISE to prepare a reserve or get the insurances so that a person has the means to handle an “emergency” should one arise?

You may not be able to change your position during an emergency — but you certainly can before and after one.  The interesting thing is, the MORE prepared you are for an emergency, the LESS likely they are to happen to you.

But, here is the part that’s most important: MUCH of these thousands of dollars were not needed for some emergency. Rather, they were just spent on “stuff”. Most of these people could NOT give you an account of how the money was SPENT even if their life depended upon it. (In contrast, prosperous / successful people CAN give you an account of how they USED their money.)

They ate out…they bought something that was “on sale”…they took a little trip they couldn’t afford…they bought a relative a gift…and then a friend a gift…they found a special “deal” or “knick-knack” they just had to have…and the next thing they know, they have THOUSANDS of dollars racked up on their credit card.

And now, for the most part, the “stuff” is UNUSED or long gone. The clothes are collecting dust in a closet somewhere…or they have been given away to a charity. The toys are crammed in a box somewhere…or they have already been broken and trashed. For MOST everything that those THOUSANDS of dollars were SPENT on, there is NOTHING left that provides any meaningful value, joy, or satisfaction.

It was money spent for a fleeting moment’s pleasure and gratification…and the moment of pleasure is long gone…but the pain of debt grows worse with each passing month.

Now, if the story ended here, then this would not be such a big deal…but it doesn’t end here. THERE ARE ONGOING REVERBERATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES.

Let’s say a person has $5,000 of debt on their credit card:

1. Their quality of living is going to go DOWN because now a portion of their “living” money MUST be diverted to covering the INTEREST cost of their $5,000 debt.
2. The OLD $5,000 is long gone and now a NEW $5,000 must be generated in order repay the OLD $5,000 that is long gone.
3. Because the NEW $5,000 MUST be used to repay the OLD $5,000 that is long gone, the NEW $5,000 CANNOT be used to create a better, more enjoyable, richer present or future.
4. And, because the NEW $5,000 dollars could not be used to create a positive return of some kind, the person then loses out on THAT benefit and/or money as well.

I could go on…but I’m sure you get the point…HOW YOU USE EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THAT COMES INTO YOUR POSSESSION WILL RESULT IN FINANCIAL REVERBATIONS THAT WILL AFFECT YOU FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

A dollar spent on a moment’s worth of gratification can end up costing a person two, three, four, or more dollars by the time the effects, consequences, and reverberations are over with from spending that one dollar.

To illustrate in a simplistic, generalized way, that old $5,000 of credit card debt needed a new $5,000 to pay it off — and we are now at $10,000 — and because that new $5,000 could not be invested in some way to produce a return, we lost out on an additional $5,000 of gain — and what was a mere $5,000 has now become $15,000.  And, it doesn’t end here.  There ARE reverberations that extend well beyond these three levels.

People with a poverty / lack / failure mentality don’t understand this…they aren’t aware of it…and they don’t care to know any differently…they aren’t interested in knowing the consequences of their choices and actions.  They just want to make “feel-good-now” choices and they don’t want to have to deal with consequences.

In contrast, people who have a prosperity / success mentality CLEARLY understand the ongoing effects, consequences, and reverberations of using money and they operate and make decisions accordingly.

This is why the rich keep on getting richer and the poor keep on getting poorer.

The poverty / failure mentality says, “It’s ONLY a dollar! What’s the big deal? Lighten up and live a little! Have some fun in life! You only get to live once!”

The prosperity / success mentality says, “It’s a dollar…and dollars add up quickly. How I use this IS important because if I use it for ‘A’, then that means I cannot use it for ‘B’ or ‘C’. If I use it for ‘B’ that means I can’t use it for ‘A’ or ‘C’. If I use it for ‘C’, that means I can’t use it for ‘A’ or ‘B’. And, if I use it for ‘A’, what is the long-term cost or gain likely to be? If I use it for ‘B’, what is the long-term cost or gain likely to be? If I use it for ‘C’, what is the long-term cost or gain likely to be?”

And, because people with the prosperity / success mentality think this way, they are actually able to experience a much more enjoyable, pleasurable, and satisfying life.

Why?

It’s because they have REALLY thought through how they are going to use their money, time, and resources…and the effects, consequences, and reverberations of using their money, time, and resources…which means when they USE their money, time, and resources, it IS going to be in a meaningful, significant, valuable, and important way that REALLY matters over the long-term.

There is plenty more that can be said about what a prosperity / success mentality is and how to have it.  I encourage you to share your thoughts about having a prosperity / success mentality by submitting a comment below.

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© 2011 – 2015, MillionairesForJesus.com. All rights reserved worldwide.

Permission is granted to reprint this article ONLY if a link is included with it as follows:

URL: http://www.millionairesforjesus.com/

Link Text: Millionaires For Jesus – God’s Millionaires – Christian Millionaire