Sometimes I watch videos, and do a little research on pastors, and churches outside my little box. I think it does me well to see things from a nonbelievers point of view. Thanks to false messages from prosperity gospel preachers, it's no wonder nonbelievers view Christians as ignorant, hypocritical, contradictory, lemmings.
I once heard a Donald Miller speech called "Free Market Jesus," where he discussed how the misconception is that as soon as we accept Jesus, all of our problems will be over. We as believers know that is isn't the case. While an eternity of worship with our Lord is guaranteed, our Earthly problems aren't magically "poofed" away. I don't think that just because you're a believer, God will allow you to prosper with earthly possessions. Knowing that you have already been given life in Christ's death, that is all the prosperity you will ever need.
I feel like prosperity preachers aren't giving the right message. Christians don't act the way they do just because they want to be blessed by God. Christ's life through death is our greatest blessing. We don't strive for prosperity, because we have it in Christ.
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
- Philippians 1:20-21
To live is Christ, and to die is gain. It doesn't say, "To live is to prosper." It seems to me the purpose driven life is one that revolves 100% around Christ. Your purpose is to try and follow Christ's example. What a gift it is that we even have the opportunity to worship God? What's the good news, that God will give us health and wealth if we believe in Christ, or that we are prosperous already because Christ conquered death, and defeated sin, therefore bridging the gap between man and God?
We all have our purposes for the Kingdom of God, and I think He knows our purpose. It may not always be revealed to us, but there is a purpose. Trusting, and following God will allow you to "prosper," simply because God makes the rules for the world he created. A silly, yet accurate, metaphor would be someone using an advanced computer program. There are instructions on how to use it, which were probably written by the programmer. Now, doesn't it make sense that they would follow the patterns given by the creator of the program? Things would run much more smoothly. Is it more prosperous to know how to properly work the program, or that you have the program to begin with? I don't know if that makes sense, but it does to me at this moment, so I'm posting.
