Principle 3: The Kingdom of God is established on a positive attitude of faith towards wealth. A Kingdom or reformation principle believes that wealth consists of what does not yet exist. This is a scriptural reference based on Romans 4:17 " God who gives life to the dead and calls the things that are not as if they were" (NIV). Non-progressive culture on the other hand believes that wealth consists of what exists. That is why in the developing world there is much emphasis on land and what derives from it, while in the developed nations wealth is derived from innovations and investing in the future.
This principle, or lack of it, also affects the attitude towards competition. The Kingdom of God promotes healthy competition, which is essential for everything from politics to free enterprise. A Kingdom mentality looks not at what already is in the market place with a jealous eye to posses, but rather what can be built in the future to increase market share and bring with it benefits such as wealth creation, jobs and increased prosperity. The word of God says, "With me are riches and honor enduring wealth and prosperity... bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” (Proverbs 8:18, 21 NIV). When competition is viewed negatively the result is jealousy and all kinds of utopian dreams, bolstered by words such as loyalty, co-operatives, monopolies, cartels, and the like. The only place that real competition is allowed is in sports.
