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What is prosperity? Prosperity is defined as “The condition of being successful or thriving.” Prosperity has never been all about money and possessions. Prosperity consists of so much more than that. It’s a comprehensive, all-encompassing variety of good things for your life – spiritual blessings, growth, health, learning and wisdom, relationships, and so much more. God created man in His image. He crowned man with glory and honor (Ps. 8:4-5): “What is man that You are mindful of him…You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” God gave Adam a crown reflecting His glory. God built a garden for Adam and provided everything he could possibly ever need or want. God gave Adam the perfect soul-mate. Adam and Eve had it all. God was also present to fellowship with them. There was abundance in every respect. This was TRUE PROSPERITY!! But Adam and Even were not satisfied with prosperity; they wanted something that God had forbidden – the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were not willing to develop knowledge God’s way – through experience and over time. They wanted it immediately, because Satan made it appear more attractive than the prosperity they already had. Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator and the perfect prosperity was taken away.
The ground was cursed and the crown of glory was removed from Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were the first to sin, but it led to all human beings “falling short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin polluted the Garden of Eden and the entire earth. (Gen. 3:17-18) “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” Because man is made of earth, the thorns and thistles (internal resistance) were placed within man, as well as externally in the environment. An earthly system would develop from the thorns and thistles, starting within the hearts of men. This has resulted in selfishness, greed, and misery. So, the bad news is that the world is fallen and the world system is evil. As descendants of Adam and Eve, we are forced to live and work within this fallen system until the earth is completely redeemed on the new earth that God will re-create. We are forced to live and work within a system that is corrupt and evil. But the good news is that, when we are saved and again receive the Holy Spirit of God, our crown of glory is returned to us and we have the abundance of the sharing community of the Church. That is our taste of true prosperity!! Also, Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Although we are redeemed by Jesus (and we have abundant life in Him), the world we live in is not yet redeemed. So we are an island of “abundant life” in a sea of selfishness, greed, and evil-doing. That is what the miracle of the Church is all about. In the Church: God’s provision for believers in an unbelieving world. The Church is a preview of the eternal TRUE PROSPERITY we will experience on the redeemed earth.
The renewal of True Prosperity was first experienced in the early church in the Book of Acts. That Church was a model of prosperity in the midst of an evil world. Acts 2:42-47 says: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
This was not socialism, but God’s type of perfect community, with selfless love and caring for one another. This was not a political system, but a spiritual one. Until the Lord comes again, this is the kind of prosperity we have and should be satisfied with and grateful for. This is what the Church should represent and demonstrate. This is what is going to attract people to Christ.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:19 that God will meet our needs according to His riches in glory, not according to our selfish wants. The happiest people I know are prosperous in five areas – spiritual, physical, psychological, aesthetic, and social. They have a strong relationship with God, are growing in spiritual blessings, and evidence the fruit of the Spirit. They are in awe at God’s creation – the intricacy of the human body and the amazing beauty (natural and man-made) all around them. They are physically healthy and take good care of their bodies. They are continually learning new things and increasing in knowledge and wisdom. They appreciate the beauty around them – both God-made and man-made. They have strong social relationships – a supportive family, good friends, and a strong support system, including a church family. Material resources are the least important aspect of happiness. So, no matter how little you have, you can be prosperous – in the Biblical sense – the way God defines it. Even if you are very poor financially, you have abundant life in Christ – that’s TRUE PROSPERITY.
When I see people who are healthy, happy, and physically active – that’s prosperity. When I see joyful parents with happy godly children – that’s prosperity. When I see peaceful, loving families who put God first and operate according to His principles – that’s prosperity. When I see these things – that’s TRUE PROSPERITY.
Also, you should realize that, even if you have very little money in the bank, you can have a very large bank account, because there are two kinds of accounts: an Earthly Bank Account that includes money, things, property, which can come and go, and you can lose them overnight. But your Heavenly Bank Account (the depository of your Spiritual assets) is permanent. Matt. 6:20 says, “…lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt and where thieves do not break through or steal.” Your heavenly bank account includes things like: Your identify in Jesus Christ, including His righteousness (that is what you received at salvation and like Abraham, your faith was accounted as righteousness), evangelism (bringing others to know the Lord), a Godly family, Godly friends, Generosity toward others, good works, discipleship, love, time with God and His word, praise and worship – just to name a few of the riches you have received. TRUE PROSPERITY is the riches that money can’t buy!!
Let me tell you something else about prosperity: It is not a reservoir, but an ever-flowing river. Prosperity should not be hoarded; it should be shared; it should flow to others. When you see a wicked man with a great amount of wealth, you are looking at a financial reservoir created by Satan to stop the flow. In the early Church and among true believers, prosperity flowed throughout the system. Just like a river, it is healthy. In contrast, a lake, a sea, or a reservoir without a flow is dead – like the Dead Sea.
If you will let heaven be your primary repository of your prosperity (the bank where you place your trust), then regardless of what happens to the world’s system, you will always have more than enough! Prosperity is not about wealth or living a life of luxury; it is about thriving as the person that God created you to be. That is what existed in the Garden of Eden and that is what will exist in the New Jerusalem. You should rejoice in your TRUE PROSPERITY and continue to build your heavenly bank account. No matter how little you have on earth, you can be very wealthy from a heavenly perspective! And that is what is most important.
In the name of Jesus, I pray that you will experience TRUE PROSPERITY in your life and your family, and that you will share your prosperity with others.