Have you ever depended upon your prosperity to bring you hope? Did it bring you hope? Why do we choose to depend on prosperity to bring us hope? How much prosperity do you need to have hope? Is prosperity ever truly enough? If you are prosperous, do you have a tepid response to Jesus? Does prosperity lead you to be lukewarm in your love for Jesus? Let me share with you what I learned about how prosperity does not bring hope lives.
I have learned in my life that often times when I have felt prosperous, I felt like I was safe for the rest of my life. I was not concerned where I would get my next meal or would be restricted from doing whatever I wanted when I wanted it. In some ways I was placing some of my treasures in the things of the world not the things of God. In some ways it caused me to be apathic about my faith.
I have found it to be clear in the Bible that I am not supposed to place my treasure in the world. Jesus tells me in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) So as I lay up my treasure on the earth I will not have true hope because it can easily be lost. Jesus also asks “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:26 (ESV) I question myself, am I trying to have earthly prosperity and as a result having my souls affected.
The Apostle Paul really clarified this concept to me, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” 1Timothy 6:17 (ESV) So, I have needed to examine attitude to wealth and prosperity. Is it so that I can have everything that I want or is it so I can invest it in the work of the Kingdom of God. I have found that prosperity is good if it is focused on laying up my prosperity up for the Kingdom of God and not in my personal desires. Also we must pursue the right kind of wealth the wealth that only Jesus gives
John talks about a bad attitude regarding prosperity as he talks about the Church of Laodicea. Pastor Troy Dobbs inspired me to choose this topic today. You can find his message here.
I pray that you do not let your prosperity lead to apathy and a feeling that you can do it on your own that you do not need God. Trust me that is not a good place to be. That is being lukewarm and Jesus says he will spew you out. So rather pursue the right kind of wealth the wealth that only Jesus gives. It is that relationship that solves the problem of sin and brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, all of our sins were satisfied and the penalty for them was paid. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
I mentioned that I was going through a difficult time right now. If you are interested in what I am going through you can read about it here.
