“The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys” (Job 42:12).
For the past several months, both Pastor Brad and I have been writing about the dangers of the prosperity gospel. Prosperity gospel makes the Christian faith all about health and wealth. It is both dangerous and false. It is dangerous because it will only lead to disappointment when life’s storms come our way. It is false because it is not biblical.
Having said that, you need to know that God has no problems with Christians being wealthy. We have many examples of people in the Bible who are wealthy: David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Abraham, and many in the New Testament. Rich Christians in the New Testament were key to help provide the funds and spaces for worship, evangelism, and supporting the apostles.
God is not against Christians having things. What God is against is things having Christians.
How can you tell the difference?
- When it comes to spending and managing funds and goods, if the mighty dollar determines what you give and what you keep, money’s got you.
- If what you give and what you keep is determined by God and his word – beginning with tithing (giving ten percent) – then you are genuinely managing and stewarding wealth and goods.
Money, goods, and resources are tools to be used to further God’s kingdom. When you give to God, riches and goods are used to impact eternal destinies. Nothing that we withhold and keep from God is transferred to eternity. We leave everything behind. The only things we can save for eternity is what we give.
John Piper says, “God gives his people money so that we can use money in a way to show that money is not our god.”
Praxis: Faith in Action 