There are people who are so desperate for a financial change. They struggle to eat, struggle to pay bills, struggle to buy the necessities of life. The struggle puts so much emotional strain on them. They are edgy, irritable, overwhelmed with financial pressures, have constant fears and worries about what to eat, what to wear, money for this, money for that. Their peace is greatly affected because of money.
Then, there are people that the least of their problems is money. They can afford to eat anything they want, anywhere they want. With ease, they can travel to any country of their choice, and buy the latest clothes and cars. But their nights are usually filled with tossing and turning. They are afraid of their pricey car being stolen while they sleep, scammers duping them, investments crashing, and not being able to maintain their high life. Because of money, their peace is greatly affected.
No wonder the wise writer of the book of Proverbs said, “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches—Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9). You can be rich and not have peace; you can be poor and not have peace. You can be rich, and your wealth gets into your head; you forget all about God and deny Him. You can be poor, and the desire to have money to meet basic needs drives you to lie, steal, and compromise on godly standards. Which ever way you look at it, being rich and being poor both come with their own challenges.
To be rich and have a lot of money doesn’t mean a person isn’t in lack. A person may not lack money, but may lack peace and joy. To be poor doesn’t mean a person is on the express lane to heaven. A poor person may always be in church, praying and serving in different church departments, but in his heart, there’s so much anger and bitterness towards people who haven’t helped him financially.
The goal is not just to be out of poverty or to have lots of money, but to be blessed and fruitful in all areas of our life. God wants us to have good success and prosperity in all areas of life. He wants us to be spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially stable and healthy. 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
One of the signs of divine prosperity and all-round wellbeing is peace. Peace of mind, peace in the body, living at peace with all men, and, most importantly, peace with God. The priestly blessing God gave in Numbers 6:24-26, that was to be regularly released on the Israelites, was a blessing that included peace, as one can’t be said to be blessed if you don’t even have peace. One of the names of Jesus is Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and giving people peace is a key aspect of the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ (John 14:27, Ephesians 2:14-16).
Even to make money, one needs peace. If your mind is clogged with fears and worries, it can prevent you from thinking clearly to receive money-generating ideas, inspiration, and businesses. You also need peace to keep replenishing the money you have. If you work yourself to the ground, have no time to rest or for family life, if you are all over the place chasing one contract after the other, or morning, noon, and night your mind is consumed with thoughts of how to come up with a product that will sell like hot cakes, all this can affect your emotional and physical health and weaken your capacity to function effectively in the workplace and in business.
As God wants our barns to be filled with plenty and every kind of provision (Psalm 144:13, Proverbs 3:10), that’s the same way God wants to see us increase in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52), increase in our love for God (Philippians 1:9), and increase in peace and joy (Isaiah 9: 3,7). They are all interconnected and related. We need one to have the other. We can’t just focus on and pursue one aspect of growth and prosperity. Abraham was counted as a man rich in livestock, in silver, and gold (Genesis 13:2). Abraham was also counted as a man of righteousness and faith (Genesis 15:6). Above all, Abraham was counted as a close friend of God (James 2:23).
How about you and I? What things are we being counted for, what things are we counting? We shouldn’t just be people who are experts in counting the money entering and leaving our bank account; we need to be counted for things that bring joy to others and have eternal value. We need to be counted for things in us and about us that delight the heart of God. God delights in the prosperity of His servants (Psalm 35:27). May God be forever delighted in the fact that we are true servants of God, and we are blessed with all-round peace.
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