Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

Introduction: Last week, we examined the bible to see how Jesus never lacked. We looked at the word “poor” vs “prosperous” to try and see where Jesus fitted. We concluded that Jesus had generous resources to accomplish the calling God gave Him. His lifestyle did not detract attention from His teaching.

Living with material things

There are three levels of how to live with material things:

(1) You can "steal" or "cheat" to get them; not recommended - "Let him that stole steal no more . . ." (Eph. 4:28)

(2) Or you can work to get them;

(3) Or you can work to get in order to give.

The Bible "pushes" us relentlessly to level three: work to get to give.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” However, too many of us live on level 2. We give our time to go to work and get an honest day’s pay to spend all to ourselves and that’s not what we have been called to do!

The purpose of prosperity:

We find this in the following scriptures:

• Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing

God blesses you so you can BE a blessing to others. For us to have enough to live on, and then use the rest for all manner of good works that relieves spiritual and physical misery — temporal and eternal suffering. Enough for us; Abundance for others.

• Acts 20:35 - “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

God has made us to be channels of His grace. The danger is in thinking the channel should be lined with gold. It shouldn’t. Copper can carry unbelievable riches to others. And in the very process of that giving we enjoy the greatest blessing.

• 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 - "Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."
• Luke 3:11 --- “John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
• Acts 20:35a --- “I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak.”
•  2 Corinthians 8:13-14 - “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality ..."
• Acts 4:32, 34-35 --- "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."
• James 2:14-17 — "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Some will say “I have enough money for me and my family. We are taken care of, and we don’t really need to prosper beyond that.” That is one of the most selfish things I’ve ever heard!

God is looking for people who say, “Lord, I want to receive your favor and abundance so I can bless others and abundantly give back to you.” Otherwise simply seek God’s will in our life, and prosperity will find us. It really is as simple as that! God’s desire is to bless everyone. The more prosperous we become (financially and otherwise), the more God can use us to bless others. So, once I pray for His will then surely, I will have the means, resource, strength to bless others with ease. That is true prosperity!

Conclusion

There’s a big responsibility that comes with the gift of receiving “power to get wealth.” God doesn’t pour His blessings into our lives so we can become savers/accumulators and pile up more and more treasure for ourselves. He blesses us so we can touch people’s lives with the love of Jesus. Instead of being motionless ponds, rather that we be rivers of living water that continually flowing outward to a lost and needy world.

NB: “If you start thinking to yourselves, ‘I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!’—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18, MSG).