The individual had this to say, "Prosperity is not for Christians. Our concern should be for spiritual growth and not material growth. You're losing sight of the big picture, and you're giving money too much power. As long as you have the basics, you ought to leave well enough alone."
There are several references in the Bible regarding prosperity. One of them can be found in Psalm 112:3, which says that wealth and riches will be in our houses.
The Bible also says that when we adhere to the words of God's covenant, we will prosper in all that we do (Deut. 29:9). And one of my all-time favorite scriptures concludes that God takes pleasure in our prosperity (Ps. 35:27).
God has given me insight into the "big picture" and has shown me that believers should prosper financially. When I think of prosperity, I think of a pie. God has given us an entire pie of blessings to enjoy, and financial prosperity is an important slice that many Christians are not enjoying.
God's big picture reveals that money is a form of power needed to spread the gospel throughout the world in these last days. Think of it as "money with a mission." Jesus commissioned us to go into the entire world and spread the good news of His availability to save, heal, deliver and set captives free (Mark 16:15-18).
In fact, God's ultimate will is that all be saved and come to know Him personally (1 Tim. 2:4). As His sons and daughters, we've been commanded to do our part to change lives for God just as Jesus did His part. But it takes finances to impact the entire world and do the greater works that Jesus spoke of in John 14:12.
Countless numbers of people are hearing of the good news about Jesus through television, radio, books and the Internet. Worldwide evangelism, however, is not cheap. It takes wealth and other material resources to do it effectively.
God wants us to use the power of money to fulfill His mission to save the lost.
Spiritual Growth vs. Material Growth
It does not surprise me at all when people challenge the relationship between money and spiritual matters. They are convinced that the prosperity message is centered on materialism and that having an abundance of things is ungodly.
However, I am convinced that using financial resources to get people born again and nurtured into spiritual adulthood is the bottom line.
Let's look at this word materialism. Materialism is "an attempt to solve spiritual problems with material resources." Stockpiling money and other resources is not a cure-all.
If you become materialistic, then you're in danger of developing what the Bible calls "a love of money," which is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). A love of money involves having a wrong relationship with money, thinking that it is a cure-all when in fact it isn't.
Having an excess of things is not a bad thing; it is God's will for the Body of Christ to be a blessing to others (Gen. 12:2-3). Second Corinthians 9:8 in the New American Standard Bible says, "...God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have abundance for every good deed."
Imagine having more than enough money, cars, houses and clothes to do good deeds for others. Having an abundance of resources puts you in position to help others. Faith, love and fellowship with the Father are keys to increasing your spiritual growth.
God wants you to exercise your faith to receive everything He has for you so that you can impact the lives of others. To reject your right to prosper financially is to be incomplete and unequipped to evangelize the world.
As members of the Body of Christ, each of us has a responsibility to love people as God does. The greatest evidence of your love is seen when you move beyond your comfort zone and show others a tangible expression of that love.
My assignment from God is to teach you that you have a right to prosper. To not carry out this responsibility would leave you powerless against the satanic forces of debt, lack and insufficiency. When these forces are evident, being a blessing to others becomes impossible.
You have been given a mission and must be wealthy and willing to accomplish God's will in order to effectively carry out that mission. Are you up to the task?
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