Contributor: Leye Olayiwola
Introduction: We started our series on Kingdom Prosperity last week. We established that God really wants us to prosper. Why? Of course, mainly for the advancement of His Kingdom here on earth. We were reminded that it is God that confer upon each and every one of us, the power to get wealth for the purpose of establishing His covenant with Abraham.
We will continue further on this series by looking deep into the myth that poverty produces piety (the quality of being religious or reverent) in us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Two Extreme Views
One of the uniqueness of scriptures lies in its balanced views. God is a balanced God and if we search through the scriptures relating to any topic, subject or issues, we will see that He is not an author of confusion. The Church seems to have a hard time staying in the middle of the road on just about any subject, least of which is on the subject of prosperity. Even till this day, there are still some believers that are on one side of the road as it relates to the topic of prosperity. Paul cautioned against one of the possible extremes in Galatians 5:13;
“For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the [sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another.”
[Galatians 5:13 AMP]
Myth 1: God doesn’t want us to be rich
Some believers have been taught that God doesn’t want His people to have anything. Some preachers have said “I don’t want any of these world’s goods,” because they thought there was something wrong with this world’s goods. Some scriptures have been quoted and taken out of context;
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.”
[Matthew 19:24 AMP]
“For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves [through and through] with many sorrows.”
[1 Timothy 6:10 AMP]
“So come out from among unbelievers and be separate,” says the Lord, “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will graciously receive you and welcome you [with favor]”
[2 Corinthians 6:17 AMP]
Myth 2: Poverty makes us holy and pious
Some Christians have been made to believe that good and relatively expensive items portray worldliness. There is a strand of Christianity that views the wealthy believer (or man) as “especially sinful”. In this strand of Christianity, the judgement day is viewed as a time when “the social order will be turned upside down and the poor will turn out to be the ones truly blessed”. This strand of Christianity exhorts Christians to renounce material and worldly pleasure in order to follow Jesus citing scriptures (out of context).
“He told them to take nothing for the journey except a mere walking stick—no bread, no [traveler’s] bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals; and [He told them] not to wear [d]two tunics.”
[Mark 6:8-9 AMP]
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched”
[Mark 9:43]
Conclusion:
It is proper to have a balanced view on biblical prosperity. God wants us to prosper and not to be in lack or need. If this is the case therefore, it unequivocally follows that God does not want us to lack or to be poor. The truth is that poverty can lead to sin and all manner of atrocities. God’s desire for our prosperity is expressed through His words in scriptures;
“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.”
[Psalm 50:10-12]
“Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication and want what is right for me;
Let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who delights and takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
[Psalm 35:27]
A proper understanding of Christian teachings on wealth and poverty needs to take a larger view where the accumulation of wealth is not the central focus of one’s life but rather a resource to foster the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the whole essence of our existence – promoting God’s Kingdom which can only be propagated through prosperity.
