We know of the holy men of God, those who seek the Father to the exclusion of all else. There are holy women out there who are just as ardent. We’ve seen the opposite, too, Christians who accumulate wealth, and who seem to live very well, indeed.
Does God insist we be one or the other? Are we to live like Mother Teresa, owning only the clothing on our back, or is prosperity in excess our due, given to us through our faith in God’s Biblical promises?
Maybe neither. Biblical truth is found somewhere in the middle.
We can have both God and the prosperity promised in the Bible. We read of this in Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
The secret? We must seek God first.
When God blesses us with prosperity, we must be fair with those around us. Look in Leviticus 19:36:
“You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
The children of Israel left Egypt with the wealth of the land. Because the Lord provided for them, they were to provide for their neighbors.
The condition of our relationship with God determines the blessings we receive. See 3 John 1:2:
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
If we choose to dabble in the delights of the world, our prosperity, both physical and financial, will suffer.
We must give the future to God. When we let worry consume us, we cannot reflect the glory of Jesus. We are reassured in Philippians 4:5-6:
“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
It is our confidence in the Lord that tells others our heart is in right relationship with him.
Proverbs 16:11 tells us who truly balances the scales:
“A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work.”
Our life in Christ is not the single robe we own, and it’s not the mansion we live in. Our life is about depending on him to provide our every need. When our relationship is right, then our needs will be met. We will find our prosperity through him.
Keeping our eyes on Jesus balances out all the other needs of our lives.
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Code: FGO.B.01.15.vp.esv