This post may be sensitive to some people. As usual, you have been warned. If you wish to read, I am most happy to share my thoughts. It is my personal thoughts, based on my personal experiences. And when I give prior warning in a post, it means, no one gets to disagree.
Many years ago, Father Stephen gave a homily about being Christians and being rich. Some people have this idea that Christians are supposed to be those poor souls, penniless and always giving away everything they have. But Father Stephen said that it is not wrong to be rich and being a Christian.
A lot of people are often chasing after money, prosperity and wealth. They will do every kind of things to gain it. Even in the Bible, during the pagan time, the people will worship and offers things to the god they perceived in order to be blessed with good harvests and lots of money. Just look at the kind of promises the new age are offering. Things to change your luck, things to put in your house to give you better luck and etc. If people mention about such and such thing can improve wealth, a lot of people will follow blindly and hope to get rich.
So, how do I see this issue on Christians and prosperity? I am quite the expert on fengshui because once, I was one of those people who tried to do things to get better quality of life. Today, I don’t ‘play’ with these things anymore. However, there are of course, certain things that I still respect because it is pure common sense.
One of Jesus’s reminder is :
“Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.” (Luke 17:33)
Life here is not merely being alive but rather the kind of lifestyle we live. Sometimes, we have to leave part of our lifestyle to live life fully. When we stop chasing after wealth and concentrate on other things, we find more happiness. Right now, I see with my own eyes, the life of some people who are so engrossed in making a lot of money and in the process, ended up with huge debts and a breaking down of the family. Living life to me today is to be close to God and to live life the way I am guided by the Holy Spirit. In this case, follow what my heart tells me to do because the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
And one of the promise from Jesus is :
Luke 19:26
“I tell you that every one who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”
Now, it is a comfort to me because even if I am already blessed, God will continue to showers His blessings on me because He has trusted me to build His Kingdom. Jesus told the above parable (story) of the generous person having more, being given more. Meanwhile those stingy, selfish people who guard closely their own wealth, will eventually lose it all because they failed to live.
Therefore, back to the title…..are Christians prosperous? Yes. They are. Christians are the lucky lot who will be showered with God’s blessings when they put other needs above their own. For it is only when they are blessed with financial richess, overflowing joy and happiness, abundant love and other good things in life, then only they can spread these blessings on others.
So, if there is any one Divine Being who can gives you lots of prosperity, happiness and love, it is Jesus Christ and His Divine guide.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
To me, prosperity is not just about money, but about little things like having my parents around so that I can take them for dim sum … having relationships healed… being able to appreciate nature … but it’s a mistake to say, I believe, that it’s all happy happy joy joy when you become a Christian. In fact, I have tasted great bitterness in my years as a Christian, but the joy of being a Christian is that you have hope and a strength from above to carry you forward. A Friend who cries along with you. Now that’s a great blessing.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:47 pm
There are a few instances in the good book which do provide justification for being prosperous. Afterall God has promised all His faithful that he will bless (and prosper) them. The underscoring thing we should all remember and abide by is found in Matthew 6.33 – “but seek ye first the kingdon of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you”.