If you’ve heard me teach on finances, then you’ve heard me say that money is attracted, not pursued. What do I mean by that? I mean that you have to be prepared and wise about your finances even before you build great wealth. Today’s blog post is going to dive deeper into this theory by illustrating the stories of Soloman and Jehoiachin.

Money is Attracted, Not Pursued

Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding

In 1 Kings 4:33, the Bible says that Solomon described the plant life from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the walls. He learned about animals. He applied himself to gaining knowledge about birds, reptiles, mammals and fish. And then Solomon became the most successful exporter of his time. He made strong shields and raised powerful war horses. He was a brilliant businessman. That’s why the Queen of Sheba came to see all of his wealth.

Solomon is a perfect example of how money is attracted—not pursued. By applying himself to knowledge and then asking for and walking in the wisdom of God, Solomon moved forward into a place of great wealth. Instead of asking for and receiving wealth and riches, money was attracted to him because of the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom he obtained.

Preparation

One day, I was reading through the Bible and came across the story of Jehoiachin. I began to wonder why he was freed, so I looked up his name and found that it meant “preparation.” It was a very common practice in ancient times to name people prophetically or to rename them in stories based on how they lived.

Jehoiachin was in prison for 37 years before he was lifted up and shown favor. And if his name meant “preparation,” then I think it’s safe to assume that during those 37 years, he was preparing. I believe he kept his heart in the right place and his mind active. I think that he never gave up, but continually prepared himself for the next step.

Jehoiachin was operating in this last law of wealth—the law of stewardship. I believe Jehoiachin was living as a steward in the middle of a seemingly never-ending desert. Then, all of a sudden, after many years, the king reached down and lifted him up above all of the other kings.

This is where the law of stewardship steps in. It positions us so to take the steps that we’re supposed to take. It prepares us for whatever God has next. Now, this is not like winning the lottery. Because if you win a million dollars in the lottery, you better work hard to keep that money. So many lottery winners, whether they win a million or 500 million dollars, lose that money within five years. This is because they have no idea how to manage that kind of wealth.

Leadership

For several years, I worked with large companies that would sometimes invest in other companies. When we examined a company, one of the things we always looked for was who the principals in the company were. We wanted to know about their education, background, and experience.

In an investable company, we wanted to see how the people in leadership exemplified knowledge, understanding and wisdom in running their business. Bill Ackman, one of the largest hedge fund managers in America today, always bets on the horse. He invests in the people that are running companies and their ability to do that.

One of the secrets to Warren Buffet’s success is that when he invests in companies, he moves to own the whole company outright. If Buffet thinks it’s a good company, and the CEO or COO is not doing a proper job, he will buy the company under value. Then when he acquires the company, he will put in his own CEO or COO to run things in order to bring the value up.

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Every Saturday at 10 a.m. MT, Becky and I go live to discuss Kingdom Opportunities during this time. I hope this post has opened your eyes, and I hope that you will join us this Saturday! In order to get the registration link, enter your email below. I will also post the link to our website.