Go Forth and Prosper
Go forth and prosper…seems simple enough, right?
I remember sitting in a church service once. The pastor was giving an incredible teaching, but a quarter of the congregation seemed to be asleep. I believe he sensed that the message was not being received, so in a bid to wake them up, he began to make declarations. “You will live in houses you never built!” And the church was suddenly roused up from slumber…as the congregation thundered “Amen!” “You will live in the best neighbourhoods and drive the best cars!” And the church roared, “Amen!”
I could not believe that this was the same congregation that was seconds earlier ignoring the Gospel. To say I was grieved is an understatement.
I was not grieved because I don’t believe Christians should live well, after all in Isaiah 1:19 the LORD promised:
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land.
I was grieving because at that time I realized that we (and I include myself here) are more interested in what God can give us than in Who He is. And I clearly saw the manifestation of this Scripture:
Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You don’t know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
John 8:19
This verse troubles me. The Pharisees who were challenging Jesus, were well acquainted with the Law. Yet when the Person of the Law stood before them and taught them, they could not recognize Him. And He, the God they claimed to love and obey told them plainly that they did not know Him. Hello modern day Christianity!
The congregation that day did not recognize the Word. He was right there teaching us…and we ignored Him. We really did not want to learn from Him, we wanted Him to fulfill our greed. We wanted Him to shut up and give us the said mansion in the said neighbourhood with the said car in our driveways. We wanted Him to take away the wealth from the wicked and give it to us holy righteous people…just as He had promised. We wanted Him to lift us up so that our enemies who had written us off could see our new found glory. We wanted to have money…in foreign currencies, beginning with the mighty US Dollar, not forgetting the Euro and the Sterling Pound. We wanted to travel first class to destinations around the world and relax as our money would miraculously flow into our accounts.
Am I saying these things are wrong? No, but I am saying our intentions for the ‘prosperity’ was wrong and we forgot this:
For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:16
That day, the Word we ignored did just what He said He would do. He judged the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. And I can tell you this, many of us failed the judgement that day. Why? Our hearts were found to be full of greed.
I always find it interesting that God included this commandment to His people:
You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
Exodus 20:17
The reason I find it interesting is that, unlike the other commandments, this is a law against a thought of the heart, as opposed to an actual action. And yet God sees desiring the things of someone else just as deadly as murder and stealing.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
You have had it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:27-28
Your Turn
When Hebrews 4:16 judges the thoughts and attitudes of your heart in your quest for ‘prosperity’ what will He find?
Why do you want to be prosperous? What is your motivation for seeking riches?
Does your quest for prosperity reflect the below mirror:
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occassion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
1 Corinthians 9:11
If not, will you pray this prayer:
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24