Good & Bad Effects Of Material Prosperity

This week we have been looking at some radical principles; principles of divine prosperity. The original divine path is not poverty, problems and penalties. God’s wish is for us to live a blessed life of honour. You should be poor in the world but rich in the Lord. This is the principle we should follow as children of God. We are rich in Christ! And slowly, we will come out of all dire situations we are facing in life. 

If you want to come out of poverty, you should come out of the poverty mentality and then come out of poverty. 

Psalm 23:1 says The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

What we see is temporary, what we do not see is constant! Everything we see, all of our situations and problems will fade away. We decide on our own standard of living. 

Today’s focus is on material prosperity. This covers everything we can possibly own - our house, car, household utensils, furniture, electronic appliances, and everything you need in life. 

1. Material prosperity is good because money is a shelter.

Ecclesiastes 7:12 says Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
When we live in the world, we will have certain worldly needs. And to take care of those needs, we will need money. 

2. It is the rich that rules.

Proverbs 22:7 says The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Money has a voice. You should make the decision today that you will live without borrowing money. We see some people struggling because of poor money management issues. 

3. Material prosperity can never satisfy you.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
We need worldly things in our lives, but should never love those things in our lives. We should not chase after the worldly things because we will keep wanting and craving it more and more. 

4. Material prosperity can be problematic.

Ecclesiastes 5:12 says The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
If not managed the right way, material prosperity can take away your sleep.

5. It can even block one’s way to heaven.

Matthew 19:23-24 says (23) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. (24) Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10 says (9) Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.