All over the world, people are engaging in improper relationships with money, food, people, etc. God has blessed us with our needs and wants, however, overuse or eagerness to acquire anything always proves to be a trap. In this article, we will explore the top 5 improper relationships and discover what we can do to prevent or terminate this mentality from infrecting our lives.
5. Food:
There are so many souls that have crossed the line with food. The human body requires food and water to survive, however, some people are killing themselves with it. The human body is the flesh. Our will should be to norture and take care of our flesh, however, in excess, food corrupts and destroy our systems. Overeating is referred to as gluttony. Why is gluttony a sin? The most obvious reason is: Your flesh is in control, when we, in Christ, know the our flesh wars against our spirit. It is simply a temporary resident for our spirit. What? The bible separates the will of the flesh from the will of the spirit. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) Walking in the Spirit would mean that we are obeying the Word of God. We are doing what we were called to do and we are trusting in God to lead our very steps. But, we know that the desires fo the flesh lead to death. So, in fulfilling those desires, we are in agreement with it, when we should be in agreement with the plan of our Father. We have an assignment and it is not to eat ourselves to death.
That is one of the reasons that we are to fast. Fasting is humbling yourself and fasting destroys yokes. Fasting also forsakes the desires of the flesh to walk in faith, knowing that God will sustain you.
When your flesh is calling for food in excess, do what the Spirit wants. Go and pray. Read your bible. Dedicate that time to God instead. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5) Just remember that the flesh is temporary, but the Spirit is eternal. Would you quit your career, your permanent job, to take a temporary position with another company? Well, that is what you are doing when you choose to spoil the flesh and dishonor the Spirit.
Controlling the flesh is the cure for the overwhelming obesity numbers that are plaguing, not just the United States, but the world, at large. If we all are in obedience, this would shut down many of those diet programs and stop billions of dollars from being pumped into exercise equipment, when that money could go to feed the hungry. The next time you feel the need to overeat, think of it this way: Your excess is someone’s lack. If you were sitting at the table with someone, watching them waste away towards death due to starvation, would you pile your plate with all the foods that you pile it with now? Well, while they are not sitting next to you, they are your neighbor. Cut back so you can be a blessing and you can prevent future generations from developing the wrong relationship with food.
4. Your Reality:
Your life is a reflection of your relationship, or lack thereof, with Jesus. If the Word is in your life, you walk differently, talk differently and live differently than someone who has no knowledge of the Word. But, how can one have the wrong relationship with their reality? When you become accustomed to being impoverished, when you get used to and accept generational curses, and when you are okay with either you or others speaking evil into your life, you have a wrong relationship with your reality. Your life was not given to you so that you can be submerged in sin or surrounded by sinners. You were created to worship God. You were called to call the sinners to repentance. When you begin to introduce the Word to your heart, you will see a change in how you think. Luke 6:45 tells us, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Pay attention to yourself when you get angry or when you are going through something. What comes out of your mouth? When we are happy, many of us say happy things. But, what is in you will arise when you are tested with fire. Sometimes, those tests are to show you just that so you can come against it.
Your life should be a mirror of the life that Christ died for. He died so that you can have heaven, right here on earth as well as, when you transfer from your mortal bodies. How so? State the prayer that Christ gave us. “Our Father. Which art in heaven. Holy be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come and Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….” Even if you are a child of God, if your reality is not of abundance, peace of mind and the bearings of good fruit, you are living a sinner’s reality. That means, there is something in your heart or in your life that should not be there and it is affecting your results. Remember, a tree is known by it’s fruit. “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” (Luke 6:43)
Get the Word in you by reading your bible often. Always pray for understanding first. Do not just show up in church, come ready to receive. Change the way you speak, meaning speak blessings upon yourself rather than speaking what your situation is projecting. Your situation does not change the Word of God. You just have to call on His Name. Remember James 4:2, “Ye have not, because ye ask not.”
3. Alcohol/Drugs:
I could never understand how this became such a controversial topic. Controversial would imply that there is a mixture of confusion and stubborness and since we know that God is not the author of confusion, we must review what He says. Can you have an alcoholic drink? There are two parts to this answer, depending on your role. But, first, let us review the defense of those that like to indulge in drugs and alcohol.
Drugs: God made the herbs of the earth, so it must be okay. My question to you would be: Did God not make the Tree of Good and Evil in which He commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from? So, why is it that you believe that you are justified in taking from something that impairs your judgement and causes you to wander away from your natural mind? If God has commanded us not to stumble, then would that not then include from drugs as well. The Tree of Good and Evil opened the eyes of Adam and Eve so they learned the difference. Meaning, this is not something God wanted them to know. He wanted to be their God and they, His people. Drugs, also, impairs the natural mind. God does not want you to partake of anything that would affect your sound judgement.
Alcohol: Jesus turned water into wine, so we can drink it.
The bible does not say that you can not drink wine, the sin is being drunk. Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding reception. This should show you that taking wine should be done on special occasions only and not in excess. Excess breeds dependency. Dependency is relying on something else for your survival and not God. Romans 14:20-21 warns, “For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” How do we drink in offense? By getting drunk. “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” (Proverbs 23:29-35) So, the next time you see someone or hear someone talking about getting intoxicated, slip them this scripture, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)
2. People:
Yes, we can have the wrong relationship with people. These relationships breed demonic ties and murder. We begin or continue improper relationships with people when we place them in the wrong spot in our lives, keep them past their season, lower ourselves for them, etc. These relationships begin when we do not consult God or we go beyond what He has commanded us to do with them. Those relationships include, but are not limited to romantic, friendships, ministries and enemies.
a. Romance: You were not called to marry just any man or woman. Being anatomically correct does not make an individual marriable. Many of you go about meeting souls that you are romantically interested in. But, you have forgotten to consult your Father about it. What happens beyond this is sexual immorality, premarital childbirths, STDs, ungodly soul ties and stress. Look at your life as if you were a beautiful insect, flying about towards a golden flower of opportunity, dreams, hope and forever smiles. You get caught up in a spider web. Do you stay there and allow that arachnid to consume you or do you fight to free yourself? Most of us will fight. Well, when you get caught up in the web of deception that Satan has knit together, you are immobile for God. You can not move forward in your ministry if you, yourself are in bondage. And eventually, it will consume you. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) Meaning, you should not be looking for love. God is love, so in knowing Him, you have found Love. And He will add the rest of your desires, including a healthy, Godly relationship. But, when you search yourself, you are limited by your fleshly senses which could not distinguish a butterfly from a moth. That is why you have spent years in bad relationships. You are wasting your time and God’s time with this. This is precious time where you could be leading a fruitful ministry, yet you are constantly having to call on God because you refuse to do what He commanded you to do.
b. Friends: Bad association ruins useful habits, right? So, your very association could render you wicked. We all have heard the quote, “Birds of a feather, stick together.” That quote was given to it’s author divinely. You will eventually become like the very thing you allow around you. We are to minister to sinners and not participate in their ways with them. Many of you argue that because you are around someone, that does not mean that you will pick up their ways. Are you calling God a liar? Because it is impossible for God to lie, however, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4) With sinners, you have to indulge in sin to please them. Othewise, you convict them and they do not like conviction. So, if your communication is not ministry, you have no reason to hang around them.
c. Ministers: Your men and women of God are called by God to lead you. But, they are not your God. I have heard ministers say that they have had to avoid some people because they have begun developing the wrong type of attitude towards their leader. How? They may witness their man or woman of God expelling a demon from someone and/or healing someone. Now, it is God that does this through them, however, someone may rely on their fleshly eyes and see it as the minister has this power. They then begin calling on this man or woman for everything. An example of this is in the story is in Acts 14. God healed a man that had been crippled from birth through Paul. “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, And saying, “Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein…” (Acts 14:11-15) Listen to your leaders (If you have prayed about them and have heard from God that this individual should be your leader.) But, always know that it is their faith and obedience that allows God to work through them, just like He can work through you, if you allow Him.
d. Enemies: Some of you get so caught up in what your enemies have or are doing to you that you forget what your God has done and is still doing for you. So, rather than blessing God, you are complaining about your enemies. What makes you so special? Even Jesus had enemies, yet He ministered in love to them. If you are obeying the Word of God, you will have enemies. They are enemies of the gospel and it is Who is in you that they hate. They should not have a place in your heart where you are focusing on their misdeeds. Proverbs 16:7 tells us, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” So, you should be concentrating on pleasing God. Meaning, you should give neither your energy or your attention to what a human being is doing. If they have put their mouth on you, know that they are already judged. God said that He will make your enemies your footstool. The more footstools you have, the higher you can stand. They are your platform. Your platform is beneath you, only there for your feet to stand on. They are your elevation. You do not have to post it up on Facebook or make it known to them, you are simply ordered to please God. So, a wrong relationship with your enemies would be your focus on what they are doing and your attempts to retaliate. What did God tell you to do? “f thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” (Proverbs 25:21-22) If you allowing these ungodly relationships to forge unforgiveness in your life, you have fallen into the lair of the enemy. You can feed your enemy when you are not under the bondage of unforgiveness. So, do not meditate or talk about what they are doing. Pray for them.
1. Money/Riches
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10) Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is not money that is evil. It is the love of money that is evil. This is one of the most misinterpreted and misread scriptures in the bible. A wrong relationship with money will produce strife, envy, and sin. A wrong relationship is born when we refuse to tithe, pay offerings or honor God with our money. God blesses us with what we have and what we will get, but many that do not have a relationship with Christ, trust in gambling, people and their jobs to propel them to where they dream to be. But, none of it will do it. Yes, they can obtain it, but can they keep it? “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” (Proverbs 23:5) And when the money does leave, those that do not know Christ, are stressed beyond that in which they can handle because, they have made money into their god. Thats why you see so many millionaires commit suicide when they lost their money in the stock market. Money is not your source, God is. How can you worship something that the Creator created? You are to worship the Creator, who can fulfill all of your needs through His riches and glory. But, so many souls are falling into the pit because they chose to put a crown on money and riches. God has a foolproof system and that system is a combination of obedience (tithes and offerings) and faith. Mix them up and you will walk in abundance as Abraham did. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Malachi 3:10) Many of you love diamonds, clothes, cars, big homes, etc. But, you were never called to love anything of a material nature. In fact, that love will prove to be a yoke around the necks of many would be saints. The reality is, God wants us to live in abundance. He wants us to have the desires of our hearts. But, what happens when people do not really know God or His plan for their lives? Well, they begin to make gods of material things. And many of you that do know Him still make idols of your possessions. How is that? You will wash that car often, but you will not show up in church? You will shop for clothes in excess, but you refuse to tithe? God does not want your money to run out, because that is what money does. It spends until there is no more to spend. But, He calls us to truth in Him so that He can be our supplier and His Word is a never ending, never yielding Reserve of blessings that will overtake the obedience.
