What is a Kingdom Mindset?
We talk about building wealth for the Kingdom, but what does that really mean? To answer that question, you’ll have to ask yourself another: what is a Kingdom mindset? I did think critically about this until I was several decades into my faith journey. At that point, I had stopped pastoring and was well on my way to retirement.
I needed a fresh perspective, so I called up two pastors I knew and asked them question after question about the Kingdom. They came from different denominations than I did, which was perfect because I needed new insight. The pastors had great things to say, but one verse in particular jumped out at me in our conversations.
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you,” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
All my life, I read that verse as “Seek God first” or “Seek Jesus first.” However, the Kingdom distinction makes all the difference. Of course, when we seek the Kingdom, we are seeking God, but it is more specific than that. A Kingdom mindset involves seeking His will on the earth. It is not about us as individuals; it is about the whole world.
A Kingdom mindset will change the entire way you live your life. Our salvation is not just a ticket to heaven. It gives us authority and access to the Kingdom of Heaven today.
God calls us to use our earthly resources to create systems and structures that invite people to taste and see His goodness. The seven mountains of influence are a helpful way to conceptualize this.
The 7 Mountains of Influence
The 7 Mountains are a framework for thinking about God’s Kingdom on earth. They represent the primary spheres of culture: religion, business, government, family, education, media, and the arts. As Christians, God calls us to bring His Kingdom to earth. This involves reforming every area of culture with Kingdom principles.
The family, education system, media, and arts mountains greatly influence culture. The messages coming out of these areas dictate what people value, think, and believe. The government and business mountains are the control centers. They create the laws and regulate the flow of money.
Lance Wallnau, one of the primary teachers on the Seven Mountains in the United States, told me, “Billy, what people don’t understand is that the business mountain is really the key to the other six mountains.”
I asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Business is involved in every mountain. Finance and money are involved.”
This is why more Christians need to understand Kingdom finance principles. For the Kingdom of God to exist on earth as it does in heaven, the Church must be above the rest of the mountains. This doesn’t mean we should implement a theocracy, but Christian influence should permeate every sphere.
Related: 7 Mountains of Influence Prayer Guide
Regrettably, many Christians camp out in the religion mountain and stay in their Christian bubble. Personally, I love the Jewish perspective on cultural engagement.
In the book Secrets of Jewish Wealth Revealed, Rabbi Celso Kukierkorn said, “To be religious Jews, we are not supposed to isolate ourselves on a mountaintop and meditate, nor are we to take vows of poverty. Rather, we are supposed to get out into the world, interact with it, and elevate the mundane.” This aligns with the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam.
Tikkun Olam
One of the major tenets of Jewish Economic Theory is that accumulating wealth is a virtue. That’s because they see their wealth as a resource to pursue tikkun olam, which means “repairing the world.”
Rabbi Celso Cukierkorn also writes:
“One of the great differences that set Jews apart from other cultural groups is that we see our wealth as a means to partner with God, as a way to bring God’s Kingdom into this earth, a concept that we call tikkun olam—perfecting the world. We perfect the world by using our God-given wealth to further God’s realm on this planet. So, what you see is that the Jewish peoples’ pursuit of wealth is often paired with the pursuit of charitable works, not only for selfish purposes.”
For the most part, Christians do not understand the concept of Tikkun Olam. Teachings about money in the Church have swung from a scarcity mindset (Christians should be poor) to the prosperity gospel. On the other hand, Kingdom Finance teaches a radical middle that aligns with the Word of God.
How Kingdom Finance Differs from The Prosperity Gospel
Here’s what I’ll say– God bless people in the Body of Christ who are willing to teach about prosperity. We need to share the message that God is a good Father who desires to bless His children. But what exactly is the term now known as the prosperity gospel?
The Gospel Coalition defines the Prosperity Gospel as a doctrine that teaches “God wills the financial prosperity and physical well-being of his people and that faith, positive speech, and donations to select Christian ministries can increase one’s material wealth and health.”
Faith, positive speech, and giving are all great biblical principles. However, they are not the only things you need to build wealth.
For too long, the Body of Christ has told people they can prosper but has not told them how to prosper. Kingdom Finance teaches you the nitty-gritty “how-to” strategies that it takes to build wealth according to Deuteronomy 8:18:
NIV: “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
NKJV: “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
There are two ways to build wealth: you either produce (create) it, or you get (acquire) it. Both options require you to know and apply a thing or two about finance.
Wealth will not drop on your head like ripe cherries off a tree or manna in the wilderness. This kind of manna mindset traps people from the level of abundance God wants to bring them to. Now, you may receive a check in the mail or a random act of generosity. Still, you won’t receive the level of wealth it takes to advance the Kingdom of God in generations, neighborhoods, and nations. This is the kind of wealth that Kingdom finance equips people to attain. (To learn more about how to build generational wealth God’s way, download our free Kingdom WealthBuilder’s Devotional below)
