Hand Me Another Brick Leadership Series: Steps To Financial Freedom (Part 2)

August 14, 2018
Dear Visionary Leader:
For the last several weeks, as we’ve continued the “Hand Me Another Brick” series, we have been teaching on financial freedom. I do not pretend to be the expert on this subject. My straightforward emphasis has been to expound on Nehemiah’s approach to revenue and rebuilding and money and ministry. When we began this financial focus, we first illustrated the problems of financial bondage. From that point, we’ve been moving forward to explain many of the principles of financial freedom.
I remember as if it were yesterday when I moved from Mobile, Alabama, to Springfield, Missouri, to attend Central Bible College. I had transferred to CBC as a second semester junior. After I had moved into the dorm, I became acquainted with my dorm mate.
One afternoon my dorm mate and I were talking about being involved in ministry while attending Central Bible College. I told him, “I plan to be out speaking a lot while I attend CBC.”
His response was, “You will not be able to speak a lot while you are here.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because there are a lot of us who would like to have that opportunity, but we are unable to do so,” he said. “There are just so many ministers and preachers who live in the Springfield area.”
When I heard his response, I said, “Nevertheless, I plan to be traveling and speaking a lot while in college.”
“Why do think you are the exception?”
I answered, “If you are willing to preach anywhere, there is a ‘where’ for you to preach.”
I hope you grasped the lesson. If you are willing to serve anywhere, there is always a “where”-a place for you to serve.

In our last lesson we learned the principle of priority. In this lesson we will discuss the lesson of productivity.

As visionary leaders, we are going to have to work a lot if we are going to build something of significance. I know a lot of people who are coasting to the finish line of their lives. We need to remember: we only coast downhill, not up the hill. “Up the hill” means climbing and extra energy.
B. The Principle of Productivity
 
I want you to look in verse 16. Nehemiah goes on to say, “Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall” (Nehemiah 5:16). Just draw a circle around that word work: “I continued in the work of this wall.”
If your goal is to get enough money
in the bank so you won’t have to work anymore, you may not understand what life is all about. There are untold numbers of people who would like to have it arranged so that they don’t have to work anymore! Did you know the Bible says, “Six days thou shalt work?” (Exodus 34:21). Do you know the same Bible that tells us to rest is also the Bible that tells us to work? Do you know why some folks don’t have financial freedom? Because, they think that work is a dirty word.

There are a lot people who want a position, but they don’t want a job. Nehemiah, who was financially well off, who was the governor, who had a high-level government job, worked in the rubbish. He took his trowel, his sword and continued to build the wall! One of the main principles of financial freedom is spelled W-O-R-K! Why was Nehemiah such a free man financially? Priority-he put God first. Productivity-he knew what it was to go to work, and he was not afraid of work. He wasn’t trying to get out of work.

C. The Principle of Purity
The third principle is purity or integrity. Nehemiah states: “Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land” (Nehemiah 5:16). What does this mean? He had integrity. This was a time of economic distress, and Nehemiah had a lot of cash. He could have gone in with his cash and bought this distressed property, but he refused to do it.
Just because it was legal didn’t mean it was right. Nehemiah refused to take advantage of someone else, and he refused to participate in a get-rich-quick scheme.
Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.”
Nehemiah was a man who practiced purity. He had integrity. Are you an honest person? Are you honest with God about your tithe? Are you honest with your income tax? Some say, “Honesty pays,” but friend, it may cost! Are you honest when it costs? Are you willing to walk circumspectly, to walk in purity and integrity? No wonder Nehemiah was such a man of God!
Nehemiah knew and lived by biblical principles, and prosperity followed him all the days of his life. Just as he followed the Lord in the ups and downs of his life, we are also challenged and commissioned to build our lives upon bedrock principles that are Christ-center for years to come.

Until The Last Person Has Heard,

Dr. James. O. Davis
Founder/President
Global Church Network
Cochair / Global Networking