Question
Does God want me to be rich?
Response
Yes…and no! This is one of the many difficult issues that Christians have to grapple with.
We live in a culture which promotes celebrity, wealth and riches. Whilst at the same time many people live in abject poverty, thousands dying each day in the majority world through lack of basic financial welfare. How then, should a Christian regard wealth?
As with many issues, the Christians are divided on this subject. In this FAQ response I will outline the two ends of the spectrum before suggesting what is perhaps a more healthy and Biblical attitude.
A Prosperity Spirit
At one end of the spectrum is what might be called ‘a prosperity spirit’. This is based upon the belief that God, in his generosity, wants to bless his people in all ways, including material goods. It looks to verses such as Matthew 7:11 ‘…how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’ as a basis for its theology. At its extreme it would actively promote praying for, and asking God for wealth and material goods, believing that receiving such goods are a sign of God’s blessing and favour. Those who hold such views would argue that God wants to bless his people abundantly, more than they could ask or imagine, therefore, why should the blessing not be in material terms? Others argue further that wealth can be used for God’s purposes and to help others.
Strengths
- It reflects a belief in a God of abundance
- God can indeed bless people in material ways
- The sharing of wealth is vital to the ongoing God’s on-going work
Weaknesses
- A prosperity spirit does not reflect God’s heart for the poor (see below)
- It can promote an inward looking and selfish complacency – ‘I’m alright Jack’
A Poverty Spirit
Conversely, at the other end of the spectrum is ‘a poverty spirit’. This is based upon the idea that the weight of evidence in the Bible implies that God has a bias towards the poor, orphans, widows, strangers, prisoners and refugees. It looks to verses such as Matthew 19:21 ‘…go, sell your possessions and give to the poor…’ On this basis it promotes the idea that Christians should live very simple lives, owning the minimum of material goods; it can be critical of wealth and materialism.
Strengths
- It does accurately reflect the Biblical evidence that suggests God’s heart for the poor
- It reflects the way in which Jesus taught and lived
Weaknesses
- It can lead to an impoverished attitude which beliefs that the cheapest available means are the best
- It fails to reflect the lavish, bountiful, goodness of God as demonstrated by the woman extravagantly perfuming Jesus feet
- It fails to witness directly to the rich
As is evident, both of these viewpoints represent something of Biblical revelation, but neither could be regarded as reflecting the whole breadth of Scripture.
Kingdom Attitude
A Kingdom Attitude is about a combination of both simplicity and abundance. Without question, some Christians (perhaps most) are called to live very simple material lives. However, the responsibility is to live in simplicity but reflect the overwhelmingly generous heart of God to others.
Equally, some Christians are called to, and blessed with great prosperity. Indeed it is vital that some Christians are wealthy in order to be able to witness to others, and in order to finance Christian ministry. However, for those that are called to such a lifestyle, the responsibility is to live in prosperity but to simultaneously reflect the simplicity to which God calls his people. This attitude reflects the idea that yes, a person may have much material wealth, but equally, that person can live without it – wealth may be owned but they are not owned by wealth. This means, that if we are wealthy, we should not consider the wealth to be ours, rather we should consider it a gift that God has granted us – to be used for His glory.
God does want his people to be rich, but not necessarily in material terms. Whether a Christian lives in prosperity or poverty God desires them to live simply and with an abundant attitude, or to live in abundance and with a simple attitude.
Key Bible Passages
Micah 6:6-8
Amos 5:21-24
Live simply but with an abundent attitude. Live abundantly but with a simple attitude.
This response was written by Andy Poultney. Copyright © April 2007.
Do you agree or disagree with the following quotes? Why or why not?
‘God can’t help it. He always takes sides. He is no neutral God. He takes the side of the weak and the oppressed. I am not saying this. I have shown it to be so in the Bible.’ [Desmond Tutu]
‘The question to be asked is not ‘What should we give to the poor’? but, ‘When will we stop taking from the poor?’ The poor are not our problem; we are their problem.’ [Jim Wallis]
‘We must live simply in order that others may simply live.’ [John Wesley]
Faith, Health & Prosperity, Andrew Perriman (ed), Paternoster Press.
FAQ Disclaimer:
FAQ responses are designed to promote clear biblical thinking about subjects that are often difficult and confusing. The responses are all considered to be compatible with the Evangelical Alliance’s basis of faith but beyond that should not be assumed to represent the Evangelical Alliance’s ‘official standpoint’ on any particular doctrine or issue.
