I’ve always wanted to be wealthy. I don’t think there was ever a time in my life when I didn’t think this way. There’s a difference between wanting money and wanting wealth , I want wealth. I don’t know about you , maybe you just want a house, a car or just a bit of something. I want what? Exactly.
Yesterday, we discussed a woman who was not only able to build wealth, but also remained grounded in her Christian faith. It got me thinking that perhaps we need a Part 2. Because when Jesus spoke about wealth, He said, “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” I think one of the greatest tests of our faith as believers is not necessarily what we do when we have nothing, but what we do when we begin to prosper.
You get the job. You receive the promotion. You start travelling. The money is coming in. You’re finally loaded. The deals start working out. Then suddenly, you can’t pray like you used to. You don’t have time for God anymore. The very blessings you prayed for slowly become the things that pull you away from the One who gave them to you. So, as we talk about being women of wealth, I think we also need to talk about how to remain grounded when you become a woman of wealth.
Personally , I don’t have plans to remain at this level. I don’t want to live my entire life at a level of just surviving or barely having enough. I desire wealth but I also desire to have the character, discipline and spiritual maturity to carry it well. The stewardship. They say there are four stages of wealth. Let’s talk about and what happens to our faith at each stage.
So I was just busy scrolling on Pinterest, and I came across this board post that said, “The Four Stages of Wealth.” And I’m like, wow, I didn’t even know there were four stages of wealth. I knoooow some of you are discovering this today as well. I knew that I wanted to be wealthy, but I didn’t even know there were stages to wealth. Likeeeee ? everything you want to be or become, you actually have to get knowledge in that area. You need to start reading books, learning, asking questions, and educating yourself about the thing you desire.
I remember one pastor saying that you can’t be desiring marriage and have never even read at least four books on marriage. He was right o, because I started reading books on marriage and they honestly blew my mind. There were so many things I didn’t know. Things I had never thought about, things I had never considered, and things I realised I needed to understand before entering that season. So, you know, back to the wealth story. I didn’t know there were four stages of wealth, and now that I’m reading about them, I’m wowed by my ignorance . I want to be wealthy, but how come I didn’t know this?
So I just want to encourage you, whatever it is that you want to become, start getting knowledge in that area. If you want to be wealthy, learn about wealth. Read books on finances. Learn about investing, money management, assets, businesses, and everything that will help you understand the world you are trying to enter. Don’t just desire the outcome; become knowledgeable about the process.
So, the first stage of wealth is survival. This is when you have enough to meet your basic needs. I think many people are at this level, where they have just enough to get by. There is enough for bread daily, enough to have a meal in the afternoon, enough to pay one bill today and worry about the next one tomorrow. I think at this stage, some people are having two meals a day, and for some, it’s even worse they are having one meal a day. At this point, you’re fighting with coins.
Survival mode is difficult bazalwane . Very, very difficult. Because when you are constantly thinking about your next meal, your next bill, your next payment, or where the money is going to come from, temptation can become very real. This is where we have to be very careful, because desperation can create an environment where compromise starts looking like the best solution.
Where there is too much desperation, there will often be temptation to compromise. People have made desperate decisions because there was a desperate need for money. They say desperate times call for desperate measures. Sometimes while trying to break out of survival mode, people compromise their values, their integrity, their convictions, and even the truth of the Gospel just to get to the next level. Even if it means joining cults, sleeping with wealthy people, yes o. It’s true.
The second stage of building wealth is stability. This is where you become more comfortable. Your fridge is always full, you’re not constantly thinking about groceries, and you’re not waking up in the middle of the night trying to figure out which bill you’re going to pay first. The income you’re receiving, or the money you have built, is enough to cover your bills and still allow you to sleep peacefully at night.
You’re not constantly worried about how you’re going to pay school fees. You’re not stressing about where the money for fuel is going to come from. You’re able to cover your basic needs without that constant pressure that comes with survival. You probably have a home, maybe you have a car, and you are able to afford certain things without having to calculate every single cent. There is a level of security that begins to come with this stage.
This is where one of the greatest spiritual dangers can begin to appear, because comfort can make us forget our dependence on God. When you begin to ask “Why should I pray? What do I need God for? I have everything I need.” Short sighted people think stability is wealth. They think they have arrived here. They brag to family & friends. Yho !
The third stage is freedom. This is where your wealth gives you choices. You can travel, invest, give, build businesses and support others. You can make decisions without money controlling you. You control the money. You send money on errands basically, If you want a particular outfit, you can buy it without thinking, “This is too expensive.” You eat what you want, travel where you want, put your children in good schools, and live in the kind of house you actually wanted with that marvellous kitchen, Heish my Lord, l receive.
This is also where we start losing people in the Church, because this is the stage where you can begin believing that you are the source of your own success. Other people have become “stinky” , you suddenly have OCD, you can’t greet anymore & you are raising your children to be rotten citizens. I used to wonder why we don’t see many billionaires openly saying they are Christians, and I realised that perhaps they are there; they just stopped coming out and saying, “I’m still a Christian.” It’s almost as though receiving wealth made them feel like they had to choose between God and money.
Then lastly, there is abundance, which is where you are not just rich, but you are wealthy. You have different investments, you have built assets, and you have created generational wealth. Even if you were to pass away (God forbid until I’m 100) your children and your children’s children already have some level of stability because you put systems in place that can continue generating wealth. For them, working or not working becomes a choice because you were able to build something that outlives you.
I believe this is the place God wants us to get to not just so that we can live comfortable lives, but so that we can do exploits for the Kingdom of God. The Bible talks about people like Abraham who were wealthy. So when the Lord finally sets you in that place, do exploits for God. Actually, start doing exploits now. Start sponsoring someone through school. Start sowing into someone’s life. Start supporting humanitarian work. Join an organisation like Link Up Africa. We have many projects we want to do.
Start sowing the seeds now. Don’t wait until you are wealthy to become a giver. What this whole conversation has taught me is that there is a process. Go through the process. As you build wealth, in whatever stage, remember that there are people in this world who are struggling. There are people living in shacks. There are children who cannot afford school. There are people who are sick and cannot pay their hospital bills. There are families wondering where their next meal will come from.
So, in your journey of building wealth, even as a woman, remember that giving is a thing of the Kingdom. In the Kingdom, we are just philanthropists. We are givers. Giving is a call for every one of us. All the best, and congratulations as you begin your journey towards becoming a wealthy woman. Build the wealth, but whatever you do, do not lose God.
If you read my blogs but have never met this Wonderful Jesus that I’m always writing about, you’d love to get to know Him, Or you know The Lord but have found yourself drifting far from Him, I would love to talk with you. Please send me an email on yieldedcwcenter@gmail.com or simply comment, and I will reach out to you
