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.