The Guilt of Prosperity

No doubt, the fear of being associated with the present-day teaching of the “health and wealth” crowd, and the envy of less fortunate folks, cause many with means to carry a sense of embarrassment and guilt. This is a needless weight to be borne by those blessed abundantly by their God. As my son Andrew so rightly says, “We need to stop apologizing for the Will of God in our lives.”

How much we who possess less owe to those who have been plentifully privileged. Think about that Blessed One, whom we are told was “poor.” He literally didn’t, as they say, “have a penny to His name.” We do well to remember, it was a rich man who donated his own grave site for His burying.

The scriptures say, “The rich and poor meet together: the LORD [is] the maker of them all.” We need to be content in whatever class to which we belong. There should never be class envy or warfare among the children of God. The Bible principle is: the poor saint is to rejoice at his brother’s prosperity, and the prosperous Christian is to relieve the less fortunate in the family of God.

Jesus said, “Ye have the poor with you always.” And John wrote, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper (physically)...even as thy soul prospereth (spiritually).”  There is no contradiction of terms here. Jesus’ statement is fact, John’s, sentiment. Just as one might wish there was no suffering in the world.

Let all of us, as the Lord’s children, rejoice, whether it is in much or little. Knowing that, GOD IS IN IT!