Money is a tool, money is not our God. It is a scientific fact that we learn "how to live life" between the ages of 0-7. Everything at that stage is learned through observation. You subconsciously learn the rules of how to be in a family, by watching your parents, your siblings, and those who may train a child through daycare settings or preschool/kindergarten teachers. So between the ages of 0-7 you are learning about money, relationships, and love unconsciously just by watching and observing.

Poverty is a mindset that perpetuates to the next generation. It is the same with prosperity. It is a mindset that is caught over time by watching and observing. Since money is a very important piece to our lives and in some cases it is people's God, then you are learing a lot about money in those early years. In order to break those mindsets we need to learn the word of God and what God teaches about money and how we are to use money. If the program you were used to hearing is "who do you think you are, you won't amount to nothing", life is hard", "we are broke all the time", we live paycheck to paycheck"...on and on. Those are like tapes that are played in your mind over and over again. So when you try to succeed at something you will find yourself sabotaging yourself because of what you have learned in those early years. If you were taught prosperity no matter what mistakes you make you will seem to prosper. If you have been taught poverty then no matter what you do you will sabotage any success.

In those early years, you learn through your subconscious mind but after the age of 7, you learn through repetition. Most of your learning is repetitive, over and over again, just like learning the ABCs. You say them over and over again until you have learned them.

To overcome mindsets of poverty and lack you must through repetition change those mindsets. That is where the word of God comes in. Jeremiah 23:29 says "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces"? The word of God is like a hammer to those hard mindsets that were developed over time.

We need the mind and heart of God in the area of finances because GOD HAS A MORE EXCELLENT WAY and it is not the way of the world, or the way you have been taught. So let's lay the groundwork for how God does things. Money is a tool that is used to advance His Kingdom, not ours. Wealth in the hands of the wrong people can be devastating. Just look at our nation. Right now we are seeing man's kingdom trying to be established which creates wealth for their gain and everyone else in poverty. It is a sick system that is crumbling. Most of us have never been taught what true riches are. We have been taught to live our lives in luxury and for ourselves. You work to make a living, have nicer things, and build your retirement. Ultimately, you are left with a skeleton of a life you could have had.

Matthew 6:33 AMPC - "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

There is something called the American Dream but it is actually the American Lie. Kids are taught early to think about a good education, good grades, good college, so you can work for a good company and make a living. The reality is that most kids come out of school barely educated, go to college, and end up in $60K debt and trying to find a good job. Statistically only 45% of college graduates actually go into the field of their degree. Staggering statistic.

I never went to college and I am not against education but where God sends you God will fund the work. If God wants you to go to college to fulfill His purpose for your life, provision will be there to do that.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 ESV - "Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after the wind."

GOD HAS A MORE EXCELLENT WAY

The Spirit of God is a prophetic spirit and we know that the Spirit of God is our helper and will lead us into all truth (John 16:13). He will lead us in the path we are to follow and in that path will be provision for what God is calling you to do.

God has a plan and a purpose for your life. You can determine in your heart to align yourself with that purpose, no matter your age. It is natural to begin to think about college, a good job, and making money. However, none of that compares to the call of God on your life, and within that call is all the provision you will need to accomplish it.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 AMPC - "He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]--yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done [His overall plan] from the beginning to the end".

EVERYTHING GOD HAS PLANNED FOR YOUR LIFE HAS ETERNITY ATTACHED TO IT.

THE DESIRE TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND GOD'S PURPOSES WAS PLACED WITHIN US BY GOD.

God knows just how to get you where you are to be and through the help of Holy Spirit will lead and guide you on the right path. Where God calls you, God funds the work. We simply must learn to cooperate with His plan.

Exodus gives us the foundation we need and provides clarity in God's ways. We know the story well, how God sent Moses to deliver his people out of their bondage. God told Moses "Go to Pharoah and tell him to let my people go so they can worship me". We understand through a series of mighty acts the children of Israel began their journey into the wilderness. Prior to them leaving. God told Moses to tell the women to go to their neighbor and take their gold, silver, and clothing (Exodus 12:35-36). They plundered the enemy's camp before leaving Egypt. Then God healed them all. The Bible says there was not one feeble among them (Psalm 105:37).

In their captivity, it was marked by sickness, disease, and poverty. When God showed up he healed them all and put in their hands the wealth of the wicked. They left their captivity healed and wealthy. John 10:10 says "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to give you life and life more abundantly.

As they began their journey into the wilderness after seeing God's mighty hand of deliverance the children of Israel began to complain. Some even wanted to go back. Why would they want to go back to their captivity? Because God can deliver you from your oppression in a second, however, your mind is going to need to be renewed by the word of God. You are going to have to get rid of some stinkin' thinking along the way.

Two months into their journey they arrive at Mt. Sinai. It was there that Moses went to the top of the mountain to meet with God. God immediately instructs Moses to go down to His people and consecrate them because in 3 days he is going to visit His people. So they washed their clothes and prepared themselves to meet with God. God descended over the people in a thick cloud. Then Moses was told to go back up to the mountain where God began to lay out the rules, ordinances, and the 10 commandments for the people to live by. God then tells Moses very specifically to take up an offering from the people because God wanted them to build him a Tabernacle. A place where His presence would abide. The people had a heart to give and by today's standard would have been around 500 million dollars. They had to tell the people to stop giving because they had so much.

On that mountaintop, Moses receives very detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle. Think about it, Moses didn't have an iPad, computer, typewriter, or even a pen and paper. God instilled in Moses his blueprint for building the Tabernacle. Moses knew exactly what to do.

For some of you, God is going to download the exact blueprint needed for building. For some of you, God is going to download a blueprint of something ingenious that could in an instant make you rich. God can give you a dream and show you an invention.

Because of that transference of wealth before the children of Israel left Egypt, the people had everything they needed for Moses to fulfill what God had told him to build. God then appointed certain men within the camp and filled them with the Spirit of God in wisdom and skill, in understanding and intelligence, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship (Exodus 31:3-5). Where did these gifted men come from? Their own camp. What a picture for our life. God provides the resources to do what He is calling you to do, gives you the blueprint to begin to build, and provides the skill set needed to accomplish the work.

There is a more excellent way. What a high call God has given us!

Deuteronomy 8:18 AMPC - "For it is God that gives you the ability to create wealth".

I want to encourage you that God has a more excellent way and if you follow His way you will succeed and your life will be filled with God's presence and anointing. This is what our teenagers need to learn before they begin to make lifelong decisions based on what everyone else is telling them to do. Parents, your children can hear from God. If they will press into Holy Spirit and listen to his voice, read the word of God, God will begin to direct their paths to His purpose for their lives. Sometimes as parents, we just need to allow Holy Spirit to direct our children in the way they should go. Take your hands off of trying to direct them and trust God to show them a more excellent way. Pray for them...yes, but give room for God to move in their lives and be there as confirmation of that direction because you as a parent have also heard from God. This is not a difficult thing...it just requires FAITH. We are a FAITH people.

I just returned from South Dakota where we once again laid a family member to rest. The scene is becoming all too familiar. We have laid to rest my Mother, Father, and now my Step-father within the past 7 years.

My parents were married June 6th, 1958 and together they had four children. Sadly, as is prevalent in our society their marriage ended in divorce. Both remarried and our family grew significantly.

Family is God’s idea. I don’t know if you have noticed but you have no control over who is your family. God placed you in that family. God is our creator. He formed man from the dust and breathed his life into him. God established family. We are his children…his creation. Then why do we feel so disconnected?

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, “be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:26-28

The answer to why we feel disconnected is simple for me. We live in a fallen world. We live in a world where there is greed, pride, selfishness and it is rooted in evil. God didn’t create evil. God created a beautiful garden and provided for his children. A perfect garden. God placed Adam in that garden to tend that garden. Then he created Eve and Adam was given a perfect helpmate. A perfect companion for him. The garden was perfect…until the serpent deceived Eve into thinking it was good to eat of the forbidden fruit. She disobeyed God and that garden that was paradise to them they were removed from.

Let’s recap…God created man and placed him in a perfect environment, then created woman and there was perfect harmony…until the woman disobeyed God.

In my travels I see a lot broken families. Through divorce, death, trauma, or pride those families eventually fall apart and go their separate ways. Usually in their quest to “find” themselves they seek after things that only further their despair and loneliness. In the meantime, the children are left walking a path God never intended for them to walk.

Unfortunately, I see it among Christians today. So many disconnected from the family of God. God designed his family to live in perfect communion with their Father and his children. But as is prevalent in families we come from broken homes and broken relationships and wonder why we can’t find our place in the household of God. We go out from among them and start our own little world with God. Forgetting God has placed you in the family for a reason. There is no way to find your purpose outside of the family of God. We are connected and when one is not there we are disjointed.

I recently visited with a man I have known for many years. He began to share with me his revelations that he has with God and his passion for the things of God. I asked him where he fellowships - who he is connected to in the body of Christ. His response was all too familiar — “I don’t fellowship anywhere. He said, however that he is in the ministry. He is trying to get to that “place” in God all by himself. The problem is God places us in family. Without that family you are disjointed. That means there is no flow of anointing coming into your life. It is a bad deception to be walking in. As the body of Christ, iron sharpens iron. Your revelations will never be proven out because you walk in no fellowship with other believers. Deception will rule and your revelation will be wrong. If you are not walking in fellowship with God’s family and where he has placed you in that family you can’t see properly. You can become very easily deceived into thinking you are right with God when in fact you are in complete disobedience to his plan.

God never designed divorce. Man’s choices and pride created families to be tore apart and children to flounder their whole life because they lack identity. Father’s bring identity and it is no wonder that our society today devalues the role of a man. Men are nutured and castrated in our society and made to be like women. Women are trying to exert authority that only God gave a man in family. Woman was never intended to carry the weight of the family. It was never God’s design for children to grow up in a home that is broken. It leaves a heart broken and confused.

God not only placed us in a natural family that provides direction, support, love, but also challenges us to grow. God also placed us in a spiritual family that is His. You don’t go to a building…you go to a family. A family that challenges you, loves you, supports you and gives you the ability to grow in all that God has called you to do. Christians who don’t want to be part of a family throw out the term “we are not a building” as an excuse to be part of the family of God. Just as when their is no father in the home the children have no identity, so it is in God’s house. If you are not connected to a body you lack identity and purpose. You will never fulfill your “ministry” outside of the family of God.

Divorce is ugly and it causes families to be misplaced. The children grow up trying to find their way without ever having that identity from a Father. I am bringing no condemnation to those have divorced because there is redemption.

God created a perfect garden but because of the sin of disobedience, they were removed from that garden. Sin separates us from each other and our relationship with God. God sent his son to die on the cross in perfect obedience to his Father. Through one act of disobedience history was changed so one act of obedience set everything right. You can walk in that peace again. You can find that garden again through what Jesus paid on the cross for us.

If you have found yourself in a difficult place because you know you have not been walking where you are supposed to be then you can repent for going your own and turn back to God. Be restored to your Father and let God place you in the family he choose for you and watch your life become a fruitful place.

If you are ready for change in your life and see that you need to be connected to God’s family pray with me…

Father, I come before you and confess that I have sinned against your perfect plan for my life. Through disobedience I have gone my own way and choose my own path and it has left me empty. I desire your path Father for my life. Thank you that through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus I can be reconciled to my Father and His family and be restored. I can know what it is to walk in a family who loves me and desires the best for me. Father, thank you for placing me in that perfect garden where I can thrive and grow into all that you created me for. I need your family and I need my Father. I need what you have put in that family in order to accomplish all that you set forth to do in my life. I trust you now Father to guide me to where you want me to be. Restore my family natually and spiritually. Place me Father where you desire me to be and I will follow. Amen and Amen!

Now if you will spend time in God’s word and ask the Father to show you where you belong—God through Holy Spirit will begin to guide you to where you need to be connected. Allow God to shape you through His family and your life will begin to become fruitful and productive and you will find joy because you are fulfilling your purpose in this earth.

Bless you on this wonderful journey called life! I would love to give you FREE a guide I have called “God Has A More Excellent Way”. You will see God’s design for family through the life of Moses as he led the children of Israel out of captivity. It is a powerful story of how God redeems families. If you would like to have a copy visit this link at https://kingdombuildersdesign.com/main/god_has_a_more_excellent_way/. You can download that for FREE. My gift to you for taking the time to read this post.  

Tammy Kveene