Is the true prosperity gospel what we think? I cringe every time I hear someone imply that God will reward us for doing what is right. God created us, and He sent His son to die for us so that we might have eternal life. That is a gift we can never do enough to earn. Its value is beyond calculation. God is not a vending machine that rewards us for doing good. God expects us to do good. Nowhere in the Bible does God say, “Give your money to me, and I will double it back to you.” The scripture does not pertain to worldly treasure; it addresses the spirit. The Bible clearly states that God will ensure you have the resources you need to do His will, but He never promises that you will be rich by worldly standards.
Jeremiah 17:7, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord."
My understanding of God’s prosperity Gospel is that if you live according to His word, you will find peace, joy, and meaning no matter your circumstances. If you live according to worldly standards, you may obtain worldly prosperity but still battle anxiety, fear, discomfort, and emotional pain. God needs people at every level of humanity to share the Gospel with everyone at every level of humanity. He needs the poor to nurture the poor, the middle class to the middle class, sick to the sick, and the rich to the rich. He needs the craftsman to nurture the craftsman, the teacher to the teachers, and Kings to Kings. God will resource your needs according to His will.
HIS DESIGN
Revelation 1:3, "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near."
The Prosperity Gospel is part of God’s grand design. He created everything, and in doing so, He created the right way to live. If we live according to His teachings, the natural outcome is spiritual prosperity. It is not a quid pro quo; it is His natural outcome. We may achieve success by worldly standards, or we may not. What we will achieve is meaning and purpose, and with that comes contentment and peace. We will be resourced according to His plan for our life, not according to the world. You will be without needs as you will not need anything you do not have. As flawed humans, we may want more than we need, but we will not go without.
Psalm 33:12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance."
THE WORLDS DESIGN
When you live by worldly standards, not according to His will, you receive the natural results of your effort. Your display case is filled with trophies from a broken world. You will have trophies of broken relationships, fear of acceptance, failure or success, anxiety for the future, and a deep void of meaninglessness. You have all the trappings of prosperity without the joy. I know firsthand of this experience. Titles, positions of authority, power, houses, cars, and exotic vacations do not provide meaning. They are a way of distracting ourselves from our feelings. We convince ourselves we will be satisfied if we have a little more. It never comes. Every hilltop provides a view of the next hill; it is endless. Over time, it wears you down emotionally and sometimes physically. Stress kills.
Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!"
I mentioned in an earlier post that Skye Jethani, in his book “With: Reimagining the Way We Relate to God.” talks about Christians who “Live from God.” They live to please God so that God will bless them. God has and will continue to bless you because He loves you, not because you found the right formula to please Him. He doesn’t have an exchange calculator that tells Him how many blessings you’ve earned based on your output. If someone tries to convince you that your obedience will earn you something from God, turn away from them. It is a false doctrine—God’s blessings are free and overflowing to all who will receive them.
Matthew 13:16, "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear."
FAMILY
We are sons and daughters of the God most high, heirs to His kingdom, a priestly nation. We are blessed.
Matthew 5:2-12, "And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: • "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." • "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." • "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." • "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." • "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." • "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." • "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." • "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." • "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."