“…A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed…”
(Proverbs 11:25)
Everything has value. And depending on the context, that value changes. In business, a bag of gold is worth more to you than a crate of water, but if you are in a dessert, the opposite is probably be true.
Jesus said its more difficult for a rich man to get to heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, but God keeps on promising prosperity to His people. Throughout the bible you will find messages of prosperity. God wishes prosperity on you, on your generation, on your family. He wants you to be prosperous!
So why the disconnect? I think I only started grasping the concept of prosperity when I read the “Rich dad, Poor dad” series by Robert Kiyosaki. He mentioned early on in his books that wealth is having enough for the life you want to live. Wealthy is NOT being rich.
Prosperity is the same thing… its not about a materially measured value, it is about the ability to thrive, to grow, and to generate…
Like all things, prosperity needs to be measured against the character of God. For instance, God brought David from shepherd to king. But then, David decided to count his troops, and measure his own value in manpower. In a moment of weakness, his focus shifted from God’s provision in his life to his “own” strength.
God did not need a rich king, or a powerful king, He needed an obedient king.
In that same vein, our purpose in life, is to live God’s Kingdom, to return man to God, to rebuild the lost relationship between us and our Father. The rest is garnish.
Prosperity, is not a goal. Its what I like to call splash. The only reason I can find in the bible for us to be prosperous, is so that others can be blessed. So that others can be taken care of. So that others can be uplifted.
Why?
So that there can be a testimony of God’s provision. So that the relationship between God and man can be restored.
And its not just about money and material things. Its about wisdom, its about time, its about grace, its about kindness… and sometimes even about material things.
God doesn’t need people, but He likes using people. If mister So-and-so, didn’t own a successful construction company, how would he ever buy the bulldozer to flatten out a piece of ground for the kids playground? God creates wealth for individuals because they are good stewards that doesn’t think twice about giving it up when God calls on them to do so. And because they have this ability, God can leave more “stuff” with them in safekeeping.
Their prosperity is splash. They are a pipe or a channel through which God enjoys to provide. But the prosperity in their own lives is because they need to maintain the pipe or build the channel.
Let me simplify the concept…
I find that there is very little in life that gives me as much joy as teaching someone to do something. There is a need, I have the means and abilities to satisfy that need at my disposal, and then I use what God has given me, to benefit someone else. Can I sell my services as a teacher? Yes, off course you can. God says that a man should be paid his wages for the work he does.
But at some point, God, after teaching me, and opening opportunities for me to learn, and giving me ample students to practice on, will ask me to give my time away for one… and that is where prosperity comes in.
If I am not the pipe through which God’s blessing can flow, then what good am I? That is why I was blessed, that is why I am in the position I am in, that is why I prospered… so that I can give at the moment God says “give”. And to be honest, giving out of our abundance, is not required, but it is expected (Deuteronomy) as a good steward of what has been placed in our care. That is, in my mind, how we practice to give.
True prosperity, however, grows out of our dependence on God. Giving when it will have an impact on our own perceived wellbeing. Trusting God to then provide for me. Not giving out willy-nilly but giving out when God calls on me.
It is also never for us to judge whether the person needs it. It is only for God to say. We will simply never know what that gift of knowledge, or time, or food or money, released in the other person’s life. What energy it gave, what doors it opened. And blessed, truly blessed is the person that can go on without knowing, fully trusting God for all provision.
“… Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favor…”
(Proverbs 11:25, tpt)
