Prosperity in
Perspective
As with most subjects, we have two sides to the prosperity question. It is not that we should not desire to prosper according to the Bible, but what does it mean, and how do we keep it from consuming us?
I wish to establish that prosperity can include wealth, but wealth does not always include prosperity. If pure wealth made people prosper, we would not have suicidal millionaires like we do. Rich, famous, people are often utterly miserable with their useless treasures.
The word “prosper” in that form only occurs once in the New Testament, and 47 in the Old (using King James here as I usually do). “Prosperity” is 17 times in the Old Testament, none in the New. “Wealth” is 25 times in the Old Testament, twice in the New. “Rich”, “money”, and “riches” we see quite a bit more of.
The proper
place for “stuff” as it were, comes behind seeking the
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall
we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all these things. But seek ye first the
The OT usage of prosperity actually does not always directly indicate wealth, although it can include it as in the case of Abraham. The Hebrew words (#7919, #6743, #2896, #7965, #7959, #7962 in Strong’s to get most of them anyway) generally indicate things like “security”, “welfare”, “peace”, “favor”, “bountiful”, “abundance”, and things like that. We see that while money is part, it is anything but the be all and end all.
Being content in where you are seems to match up pretty well with prosperity, for if you are content you are at peace, you feel security, and while some of the other things might not necessarily be there, you are not driven by money.
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5 KJV
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:10-13 KJV
The context of being able to do all things is to be content in whatever state you are in. We often cite just verse 13 for matters of great faith (not that this is completely wrong because other verses back it up), but it’s really telling us that we can be happy in whatever state we are left in. This enables us to have everything taken away from us as Job did, and still say “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Even if all our worldly goods perish we are never left or forsaken by Jesus, unless of course we forsake or deny Him.
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalm 37:25 KJV
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with
him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:” Second Timothy
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day. Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?” Deuteronomy 31:16-17 KJV
The Problem
The problem with prosperity doctrine is that it tends to heap condemnation on you if you do not have lots of money, or at the very least tries to tell you that God wants you to have lots of money. Money is not a bad thing, it is a tool. If you have lots of money, you have good ways to use it. Being able to give is wonderful and I have no problem with that. But being content even if you don’t have lots of money is crucial. Unfortunately, it is often only the prosperity of money that is taught, without the contentment part. Thus we get a bunch of spoiled brats who are not content with what they have, they always need a little more money and/or stuff, and that must be God’s will for them.
Now let’s get ugly about it, so I can be my usual seemingly dour self. I’m really a very happy man for those who don’t know me, I’m just deeply unhappy about the doctrine that is spread to feed itching ear syndrome.
“Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain.” First Timothy 6:5-6 KJV
We could close the case right there when it comes to much of the prosperity doctrine. Godliness with contentment is way better than monetary gain, which is not really godliness. Now consider what it says of these teachers, that they are destitute of truth. Is that who you should be listening to?
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be
diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” Proverbs
“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.” Proverbs 11:4 KJV
“He that trusteth
in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”
Proverbs
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” Proverbs 13:7 KJV
Wow! I can see the rich young ruler in a couple of these.
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” James 5:1-3 KJV
Gulp! I never noticed that little bit about the last days before. Let me say again that money is not a bad thing, and having money or not having money is not bad either way. But take care, for it can cost you your salvation. This continues right after the verse about godliness with contentment:
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 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.” First Timothy 6:7-10 KJV
To err is to go astray or having to do with deceit as I learned previously. You can be in the faith and yet err from it because of this deceit. Jesus said much the same:
“He also that received seed among the
thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew
What happens to the man who covets and does not repent?
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger,
nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance
in the
“For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth” Psalm 10:3 KJV
You need to be very, very careful when it comes to money. I like the way one person put it, “It’s not what you have, it’s what has you!” Loving the things of this world, coveting after them, looking to riches for our security will send us to hell, like it or not. I haven’t even begun to exhaust this subject; there is so much scripture about this to keep it all in its place. Look at money with the right attitude, do not love it.
Woe to those who teach us to love money. You too feed the itching ears to your destruction.
“But woe unto you
that are rich! for ye have received your
consolation.” Luke
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:19-24 KJV