Yesterday an article was published on TheSimpleDollar where Trent shared his opinions about the “Prosperity Gospel”. I read the article, read the comments, and had some thoughts that I wanted to write about – so here we are. In the article Trent made clear all of his misgivings with the Prosperity Gospel and at the time I read it all the commenters seemed to share the same disdain for it.
Scripturally I think it is important to start with Matthew 6:33…
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
What I get from this is that our priority and focus should be on God and His will, not on getting the things. I think it is pretty easy to argue that when our focus is on getting things or material possessions, we are in the wrong. My hunch is that it was a few preachers who got out of balance with this who have made the word “Prosperity” so taboo.
That said, there are numerous scriptures that suggest that God does want to see us blessed (or dare I say prosper?). The fact is that if you search your bible you are going to find the word Prosper used about 45 times (depending on which version you have). And I don’t recall an instance where it is used as a negative thing.
I would like to do a little Greek and Hebrew study on the word Prosper to get back to it’s original meaning – but my hunch is that it isn’t limited to finances – like so many people make it to be today. (If anyone has this info, feel free to share in the comments.)
What’s it for?
So I look at myself – I am a middle-class American who sees a lot of room to grow financially by looking at those around me. But realistically, I am filthy rich compared to the rest of the world. I don’t know why God chose for me to be born in such a prosperous nation when I could have just as easily have been a starving child in India.
But, I do see this as a special responsibility that I have been given – I feel that it is crucial that I don’t get caught up in Keeping up with the Joneses, but rather focusing on how to be the best steward of my money possible. Not only to handle it wisely and seeking to increase it, but to put it to good use by honoring God and helping people with it.
The poverty gospel
In the past I had a fear of earning a lot of money. I somehow felt a little more “holy” if I didn’t have any money. The truth is that the amount of money you earn have nothing to do with your right-standing with God. There are athiests and Christians alike who both make a ton of money and who are broke.
Before I was afraid to make much money because of this verse…
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25
Then I began to find out more about Stewardship and realized that none of my money is really mine anyway. And wouldn’t it be much better if I made a bunch of money and used it to advance God’s Kingdom rather than intentionally trying to avoid making more money? What if I could get to the point where I could give away 50% of the money I made – or what about 90%? Imagine all the churches that could be built, imagine all the missionaries I could help, imagine all the mouths that could be fed.
If I made a lot of money, but were giving away 90% of what I made would I be the same as the “rich man” that Jesus was referring to? On the other hand, what if I just happened to be in the top 1% wealthiest people in the world (check for yourself here) – even though I don’t feel that rich – does that still make me the “rich man” that Jesus was referring to?
The conclusion I came to is that I am rich whether I like or not and I feel a responsibility to never get caught up in the accumulation of things, but rather to use what God has given me to give back.
Psalm 67:7 has struck a chord in my heart…
“God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”
I feel so incredibly blessed by God in many ways, but I know what it’s for.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome! I haven’t read it but I did read Simple Dollars article and was wanting scripture.. I’ll read ltr and comment more. Thank you for using scripture, I will be retweeting!
Good catch on taking a different view of Mark 10:25.
We tend to get caught up in what a single verse says, but in doing so we can easily take any verse out of context and magnify it beyond it’s original purpose. In the case of that particular verse, Jesus wasn’t addressing wealth in general, but a man who had dedicated and apparently swore his his life over to his wealth. That doesn’t mean we can’t pursue wealth to some degree and serve God with it and through it. The rich young ruler in the verse couldn’t serve God.
That verse shouldn’t preclude us from seeking wealth, but it should set the groundrules within which we do it.
It’s so important to take scripture as a whole and not to get too caught up in individual verses. If we do, we miss the overall message of the Bible.
wow, that was a really good, insightful article about money and the FACT that we are rich here in America. Even the lower class people at the “poverty” line are rich next to the world. I love it. This needs to be said to every Christian
Bob, good point in that financial stewardship goes beyond how we handle/manage money, but also in how we use it. We have the honor to manage and use wisely what has been entrusted to our care to further God’s kingdom. The world would certainly be a different place if everyone just gave 10% of their gross income.
great article. i agree with the insight. it is a wonderful concept to give everything back to God because it really isn’t ours anyway. i’ve always liked the saying if you keep your hand open…you are not only blessing others, but allowing the Lord to put something else in it’s place.
Are we rich young rulers?
How would we react if God told us to give away all that we have and all that we earned to follow him? How about the nice flat screen you just got? The comfortable home? The nice car? The emergency fund?
Answering that question helps me gauge whether I am ‘the rich man’. I am not saying we are all called to do that, but I think that story is offered as a checkpoint for our own hearts.
Unfortunately, in my heart of hearts the answer isn’t pretty.
Great Article
Happy Rock–I think you’re bringing the point home wih your comments. Very well put…
For the first time in 20 years , my husband and I will be double wage earners. Our children are grown and I am beginning a new career. I have been troubled, however, by the fact that our income could possibly double. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited about this. Even more, though, I have been scared that we will be foolish with this much money. I also don’t want my heart to trust money for my security.
This being said, I appreciated your article Bob. Adding to this, my pastor recently commented that we should use money as a pedestal (for building the Kimgdom) — not put it on a pedestal. My desire is that God will use me to bring him glory. We have been faithful with what he has given us so far; surely his Spirit will be faithful in guiding us in the future.
This was an absolutely awesome post!
I was just thinking about doing one like…so now I got more ammunition to use.
Thanks again!
I was reading your article on Prosperity or to Prosper and I did a study and found uddles of info. To Prosper (3John2) right from God, he desires that we prosper and be in health. Strongs lists Prosper #2137-Gr. euodoo = to succeed in reaching. Also (John 10:10) Abundantly(more) #4053-Gr. perissos= in the sense of beyond(superabundant) in quantity or superior in quality, a preeminence, exceedingly abundantly above, beyond measure. And of course (Malachi 3: 10-12) where God has challenged us to prove him, how big do you believe? I love to read the epistles because its written to the household of believers(thats us). Hope this helps shed some light on the matter.
Great insight! Thanks.
Thanks for a well thought out and balanced approach to biblical wealth. It is interesting that the word “prosper” is not used, that you can recall, in a negative sense in the bible.
This post motivates me to not only earn more, but also, if I am truly seeking his kingdom, I should also be looking for opportunities to give more.
Hi, I’m a broken record – Great post Bob.
I do think it is important to highlight (as you did in your post) that God prospers us with the ultimate intent of blessing (dare I say prospering
) others (2 Cor. 9:11).
The danger with the prosperity gospel is that it essentially says God blesses you so you can live it up – cars, houses, boats…. Instead, God prospers those who are faithful with the little they have so they can in turn bless others . This does not mean we cannot keep what God uses to bless us, but we as we are generous to ourselves we must also be generous to others. The prosperity gospel teaches that God just wants you to keep everything (otherwise why would he have given it to you in the first place?)
There is nothing, from what I have read, in the bible that even touches on the issues of how muc a Christian can earn – the sky is the limit. There is, however, much to be said on the topic of how much a Christian should keep.
We can be either a “prosperity dam” or a “prosperity channel”. The dam keeps and the channel redirects.
@The Happy Rock. I hear you! In the several classes I have taught on the topic of the Bible and money everyone is quick to point out that the Bible speaks about the LOVE of money as the root of all evil (correct). I have not met a single North American Christian who has said they love money. It does make me look a little deeper into my own heart and ask – do I really love money?
One of the things we do have to be concerned about as Christians is that the prosperity gospel–the rogue version at any rate–successfully fits well within the framework of capitalism, and also provides an outlet for our inherent greed (see Happy Rock’s final convicting sentence above) . It’s therefore a divining rod for hucksters who tickle our ears by telling us that God wants us to be rich and happy.
Rich and happy in the Bible are often misconstrued. We can be rich in Christ or in faith and happy (really joyous) in our salvation, so the blessings are often non-financial but described with monetary metaphors that we’re only too happy to take literally if we can. If we don’t actually study the word, it can be a short walk from the true meaning to the rogue understanding.
Discretion is huge here.
I just want to say thanks for the great article. It was excellent. Sometimes I forget how blessed I really am and you did a great job of putting that in perspective. Blessed to Bless.
Kevin, you make an excellent point – the prosperity gospel markets to the seeds of greed that’s in all of our hearts.
If we think money and happiness are the ultimate treasures, we’ll fall victim to the line of thinking that God’s out to “bless us financially”.
The word prosper has to be defined with discretion, because it doesn’t always have to do with money although it certainly can mean that.
Great post!
Why does it seem so ingrained that a lot of money = bad? Even though I have heard money itself is not bad there is still a “feeling” that if I have a lot of money I am being greedy. I pray that if God ever brings me to that spot that He will prepare me to be a good steward.
I read the article on The Simple Dollar. He specifically said that people tell him that – because of his success – he must be in God’s blessing. That is total hogwash. 1 Timothy 6:10 is where it says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Five verses earlier – 1 Timothy 6:5b and 6 – says – in describing unholy men, “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” I think the point of Trent’s article was not on our internal heart attitude toward money BUT on this false teaching. The true question is not, do we love money? but (as the New Living Translation puts 1 Timothy 6:5) Do we view religion as a way to get rich? I came out of a church that preached on Malachi 3 every week. Test Him! Test Him! You can’t outgive God, they would say. If you’re having financial difficulties, tithe and God will bless you, they would preach every week. Give us your money and God will bless you! This is so wrong. THAT is teaching that religion is a way to get rich. THAT is the prosperity gospel. THAT is wrong and false. If I’m giving to get, I’m not really giving. I’m not giving to build a church or feed the poor but giving to get the increase.
Malachi 3 is the Old Testament. If someone is going to stand on that, are they also going to start offering blood sacrifices again? Jesus changed EVERYTHING.
Liz–Perhaps the biggest problem with the idea that prosperity = God’s blessing, is that there’s an implication for the inverse–what does that mean for the poor? Does it mean they’re cursed??? We know that can’t be true and it’s completely counter to the Gospel. It’s an example of how we twist scripture to wrap neatly around our lives.
RE: tithing, there’s a counter opinion on it in Pagan Christianity (George Barna and Frank Viola) that I tend to agree with. They maintain that the tithe is an OT directive that wasn’t meant for Christians. Plus Paul gave us a less specific guideline for giving in 2 Cor 9:7 (“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”).
I think tithing is a good thing that God looks favorably on, but in some churches and sects there’s a tendancy to be compulsive about the it, with a backdoor hint that it’s foundational to our salvation. I think people start feeling guilty about not doing it, as though they aren’t walking with the Lord as a result. I’ve seen people in tough financial situations who didn’t have the money to do but stressed over it. I doubt this was ever the intent.
Better to give 2% cheerfully, than to struggle and begrudginly cough up 10% as though we’re paying some sort of faith tax.
Good Post Bob! and very interesting comments,
I think the truth of all this is found in the Bible. Some preachers have misrepresented the scriptures or preached it for their own gain, but that does not negate the truth of the word of God. The ‘Happy rock’ above pointed one important thing that i think is my take for this article….. Where your treasure is there your heart will also be according to Mathew 6:21.
I want to be a good steward as Bob pointed out, what i have does not belong to me i am just “holding it for the owner” but i can use it as he pleases.
joe
I have seen the global rich list before, but seeing again that I’m in the top 1% of the world’s wealth is humbling. We can come up with all the excuses in the world for why that doesn’t matter (higher standard of living, taxes, etc.), but it definitely does. We are blessed beyond imagination and we need to ask ourselves why God chose to bless us in this way.
Bob,
Right on money, so to speak
, Brother! This is something that I have (and probably most Christians) struggled with most of my Christian life (28 years). It has only been for the past 5 or six years that I have begun to understand that we in the pew have been called to support those in the pulpit. We cannot do that if we are conformed to the world of debt, mediocre jobs (that we hate), fear of success, and a fatalistic attitude!
Like you, I believe that we in the pew have a God-mandated responsibility to live out Galatians 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially those who are of the household of faith.”
I have begun studying what the Bible says about all this and journaling it in my blog, http://noble-success.com. Thanks to your great article on blogging, I will be spending quite a few hours now on optimizing the blog to make it more useful to others.
We have a lot of common thought, my friend (as I am sure many do). I look forward to becoming more familiar with your work and ways to mutually re-introduce and promote the Biblical teachings of good stewardship to a Church which has been conformed rather than transformed (Romans 12:2)
This really was a great post. Thank you for sharing truth.
Some of the thoughts that came up as I was reading the post, but more so in reading the comments, is what I’ve found in scripture and in my pursuit of God’s heart on the subject.
This is an area that I have wrestled with a lot for the simple fact that I believe God has given me a gift in the area of business, even at 25. But it is a talent that I have, whereas my heart of hearts is just to serve Him with my whole being. Even if that means living in a grass hut ministering to unreached people groups.
In Proverbs 30 the writer asks two things of God;
Pro 30:7 Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Pro 30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
Pro 30:9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.
And that is the conclusion that I have come to; that even if He were to bless my businesses with an abundance, I have decided in my heart that I will keep what is needful for me and no more. Like John Wesley I have set a salary cap for myself, and the rest will go to whatever is on His heart; the widows and the orphans (James 1:27), the poor (all throughout scripture), the advancing of His Kingdom, etc..
I think it’s important to note this story that Yeshua told His disciples;
Mar 12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.
Mar 12:43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.
Mar 12:44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
The abundance is never for us, read Luke 12:13-20 to see what God’s heart is for our abundance. If we don’t know when our life will be demanded of us, why would we want to be caught with an abundance in storehouses (banks) when there are poor and needy among us. God knows our needs and provides, so we can provide.
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