You've heard of the prosperity gospel. "God loves you and wants to make you healthy and wealthy." Hopefully you've rejected it. It's just not biblical, no matter how you try. So we wisely shake our heads and reject a patently worldly approach to God as our butler instead of Lord.
As we put that stuff aside and pat ourselves on the back for seeing through this nonsense, I wonder. Do we pick up our own version? It seems like a lot of us do. "What? Not us!" Well, let's see.
The most common, perhaps most distressing assault on our faith is the problem of evil. How can a good God allow bad things to happen? How can a loving God allow children to suffer? How can an omnipotent God fail to keep me employed or my spouse from leaving me or … a wide array of difficulties we face? Why do bad things happen to good people? Common question, but most of us have trouble giving a coherent answer because, let's face it, we all suffer from questions like these ourselves sometimes.
Perhaps you don't recognize it, but isn't that just like the prosperity gospel? The prosperity gospel assures us that God wants to make us healthy and wealthy and happy. We believe, as indicated by these questions, that it's God's job to make us healthy, happy, and probably even wealthy. When He fails, we're going to have a problem with Him because He owes us. Things are supposed to be better than this. We're children of God; we're not supposed to suffer like this. "I deserve better!"
There really is no difference. We just see it as different because we're not declaring it out loud, because we try not to sound like those other guys, because "It's my belief and I'd like to keep it, thank you very much." The problem is it's not true. God doesn't owe us something. We don't deserve better. God is not in the business of making us healthy, wealthy, or happy. Now, out of His sublime generosity He has made arrangements for us to have an abundant life by knowing Him, but for too many of us that's just not up to par.
Imagine that! A living, breathing, saving relationship with the Almighty when we were rebels and sinners and doomed for sure, and that's just not up to par. "A relationship with my Creator? Yeah, sure, but can't I have some extra money instead?" Pitiful … really pitiful.
13 comments:
This is something I'm currently wrestling with. I firmly believe that God will provide and that everything we receive comes through His provision. While I'm not thinking that God "owes" me wealth, it's hard to stay positive when I'm not seeing paychecks on the horizon (I'm not salaried). I trust that God has things under control, I'd just prefer to not get so close to the edge so regularly.
That's how we (21st century American Christians) tend to think. It struck me how much it sounds like "prosperity gospel" when compared with, say, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego going into the flames. We say, "I know God will provide." They said, "But even if He doesn't …" Job said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord" and we tend to think of the first half only -- the Lord gives. Maybe not in terms of "owe," but we're not exactly "counting it all joy" when things look bad. (And note that I'm saying "we" here.)
I understand that, and I’m not suggesting that if things don’t go how I’d prefer that I’ll question God’s sovereignty or be angry with God, more that I’m trying to appropriately balance His provision for us with His sovereignty and how I maintain a healthy attitude. I’m also not suggesting that I won’t stop rejoicing, just trying to keep the right balance.
There is a fine line between working to increase one's wealth and worshiping wealth. Prosperity gospel types seem to lean toward the latter. While I strive not to put wealth above all else...particularly above Him...I don't see that I'm meant to allow myself to fall into poverty and rely on...I don't know...some Louisville leftist to bail me out. I also see no Biblical directive to avoid wealth, but merely to understand the temptations that come with it. As to living on the edge, I don't see it as a problem to pray for deliverance from financial woes anymore than praying for deliverance from any other.
Money's like sex. Too many have a skewed notion of what Scripture says about it. Some do the skewing. Prosperity gospel types are among them.
No idea what a Louisville leftist is, and Google didn't help.
Marshal, I'm talking about what we expect from God. And I don't know what a Louisville leftist is, either.
I'm talking about that as well, though not quite in the same way. I expect that God has already granted me the ability to acquire whatever I decide to acquire. As such, I don't feel any great need...most of the time...to appeal to God for bucks. I don't feel at all comfortable with such a thing, yet at the same time if I'm in dire need, it doesn't seem any different than seeking our daily bread.
But I went from that to those that have a warped notion of what we ought to expect from God, particularly regarding spondulix.
As to the "Louisville leftist", I attempted to email you my explanation using that address which is still on your profile page. I'm not sure if you want me to provide it here. Feel free to contact me in the same way if you wish.
Look at you! "Spondulix." Have you been reading a dictionary or something? (For those unaware, it refers to spending money.)
I didn't get the email explaining the term, but I assume you're referring to current events of protests in Louisville.
I didn't think you were disagreeing with me. We've discussed in the past the false command that all Christians should be poor and we've agreed that it's false. I just wanted others to be clear that I'm not talking about acquiring wealth; I'm talking about our expectations of God.
I tried to send you an email using the address on your profile page, and it immediately indicated it's not valid, or words to that effect. If it is your email address, please affirm and I'll try again. I wasn't referring to recent events in Louisville.
BTW..."spondulix" was/is a word commonly used among the crowd with whom I ran back in the day. We're old now.
The email on my profile page is the email I get notifications from the blog that I've got comments … like yours. It's certainly valid. Can't imagine why it didn't work.
Am I not going to learn what a Louisville Leftist is?
Check your email
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