Our Best Life Now?

Most of us have heard some of the “Prosperity Gospel,” a religious belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for those who follow Him. The principle taught is that your wealth will grow with faith, positive speech, and donations to the church.

The people preaching this theology are themselves wealthy. But is it “true” theology? Theology is the study of religious beliefs and theory, the nature of God, and religious beliefs. Is it God’s will for us to be wealthy here on Earth?

There are multiple verses throughout the Bible that talk about rewards and rich harvests. Most are speaking of Heavenly rewards, not earthly ones. These verses also say burdens, perils, trials, and hard work are attached to all the blessings. 2 Corinthians, “In weariness and toil.” Galatians 6:9, “Let us not get tired of doing what is right…we will reap a harvest of blessings if we do not give up.” The Bible tells us that earthly blessings are not what we should seek. Malachi 20:16, “And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then, and those who are last now will be first then.” Verse 26, “If you want to be great, you must become the servant of all the others.” This is in opposition to the Prosperity Gospel teaches.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25 that 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. If God is calling us to earthly prosperity, how does that match these scriptures? The Gospels teach how a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied in Mark 10:21, “Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” The young man walked away from Jesus saddened because he valued his possessions more than eternal life. How can we follow the Prosperity Gospel if Jesus tells us to walk away from earthly gain?

Ecclesiastes 6:9 says, “It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to always want something else.” And James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Envy is why many people work so hard to succeed. They envy what their neighbors have (Ecclesiastes 4:4). It’s the “Keeping up with the Jones” mentality. Social media, television, and print bombard us with this message daily. Everywhere we turn, someone tells us how they are better than us and that if we only had the next best thing, we would be better too.

Now, please don’t take me wrong. I know many people who have been blessed by God, physically and financially. They put God first. They are always helping and loving as God loved them. They see their blessings as a means to bless others. David was Israel’s greatest king, the patriarch of the line through which Jesus would be born. David had great earthly wealth and power. But 1 Samuel 13:14 says, “The Lord hath sought him a man after His own heart.” David is the only person in the Bible who is said to be a man after God’s heart. That is saying a lot. And even though this was true, David was still a human. Envy caused David to sin. But David repented and was forgiven.

In 1 Timothy 6:17-18, Paul is writing to Timothy about the rich. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they might not be high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, and be willing to communicate.” Paul tells us that if God has blessed you with earthly wealth, you should be willing to use it to build up His Kingdom.

Yes, God wants us to be happy. He will provide for us all we need. But we all know how uncertain our society is. So put your faith in God and not in the world. “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” (Proverbs 23:5)