Passing the Prosperity Test

Passing the Prosperity Test
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Most of the tests in the life of the believer come from Satan. He comes to "kill, steal, and destroy." (John 10:10) He is "the accuser of the brethren." (Revelation 12:10) He tries to sift us "as wheat." (Luke 22:31) And he walks among believers "as a roaring lion...seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

However, not all testing comes from Satan. God also tests us -- but unlike Satan who tests us with evil, God tests us with good things. In fact, every blessing of God comes with an accompanying test. With every good and perfect gift, God asks us, "Will you still seek Me and not the gift?" God wants to have the preeminence in everything. Colossians 1:18

Many Christians have passed Satan's tests and trials--they have overcome evil circumstances, gossip, sickness, and financial disaster--but then have failed God's test of prosperity. Sadly, these believers serve God when the circumstances are difficult, but desert Him when life is good. Once their bank account is full, their bills are paid, and their family is healthy and filled with joy, they stop reading and meditating on the Word, their church attendance drops off, and they are no longer in active Christian service.

Excuses or Reasons?

Jesus ran into many people who followed Him only until their need was met. He saw them fall away as soon as the pressure of need was removed. They treated Him and His Word like a magic genie: after Jesus granted them their three wishes, they figured He would disappear and leave them alone. Once their need was met, they lost their motive for serving the Lord.

In the following parable, Jesus challenged both His disciples and us to keep our motives pure and our priorities focused on Him:

"Then said he (Jesus) unto him, A certain man made a great supper and bade many; And sent his servant at suppertime to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse." Luke 14:16-18a

This story anticipates the coming of the Church Age and local church. Jesus knew the dedication of His disciples would one day be demonstrated by their consecration and faithfulness to their local church. The same proof of our dedication to the Lord is demanded today by our faithfulness to attend our local church and our willingness to become involved in the work of God.

In this parable, the man who made the great supper is the pastor of the local church. Each time the church doors open, the invitation is sent to call in those who are hungry to come and eat of the great meal which has been prepared.

Those who had been invited to this supper had always come before. This time they offered excuses. There may be a reason a person cannot come to church, but there is no excuse. A reason is the truth, while an excuse is a lie, a facade to cover the truth. A person who makes excuses never accepts personal responsibility, but always puts the blame on someone or something else. The Bible tells us everyone invited to this feast began to make excuses.

"The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have thee me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." Luke 14:18b-20

The first two men had financial excuses. One said he could not come because he had to inspect a piece of ground he had purchased. The other said he had to go and try out some new oxen he had bought. Let me ask you a question: Who first buys a piece of property and then looks at it? Who buys oxen and then tries them out? Everyone knows you need to inspect and prove before you buy! These were excuses designed to cover the truth, blame the circumstances, and deny personal responsibility.

How did these men become prosperous enough to buy the land and oxen? These blessings came from God through His Word, from the meals served by their pastor every week.

These men apparently came to church because of great financial problems. The Lord was gracious to meet their needs, and the men now had extra money to invest and buy better equipment. But now their priorities have changed. They are busy with their possessions and are no longer interested in the things of God. They never had a great love for the Lord. He was there to meet needs and grant desires, but never to be loved and served.

These men had to be hunted down to discover their excuses. When people leave church because of a change in their priorities, they rarely tell anyone; they just leave. When you finally see them on the street or in the mall, they give you many excuses why the church and the Lord are not so important anymore.

The third man in this story excused himself because of his new wife. While this man was single, he was very dedicated to serving the Lord and active in local church. God was his top priority until he discovered a mate. Now, instead of being involved, coming to church early, and studying God's Word, he spends all his time with his new wife, occupied with the trivial details of life instead of the Giver of life.

Motivated from Within

There must always be a pressure in our lives, pushing us to serve God. God's desire is to see that pressure, that drive toward godliness, move from the outside to the inside, from external circumstances to internal desire. In other words, God eventually wants us to serve Him because we want to, not because we have to. This is one major reason God meets our needs and gives us abundance: He wants to test and prove our motives.

What is our motive for serving God? Let it be a heart of gratitude and love. Let the motive of love far exceed the motive of need.

A Godly Warning

Moses warned the Israelites about the snares of prosperity before they entered Canaan. He told them of hills filled with copper, gold, and silver. He told them of rich soil which would grow large crops with little effort. He also told them of the God Who would give them the great prosperity of the land after their time of fighting was over. They would live in houses they had not built and have such wealth they would become the envy of other nations around.

But Moses knew the time for the Israelites to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to make a strong commitment to Him was before the prosperity came.

"Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God...Lest when thou hast eaten and art full...and all that thou hast is multiplied ...thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant." Deuteronomy 8:11-18

Only pride and arrogance could cause us to give ourselves credit for something God did. God's desire is for us to remain dedicated to Him, even after we are blessed. It gives God joy when we, His children, worship Him, even when we have no pressing needs.

Passing the Test

The greatest worship comes from a heart of gratitude and love, not a life of need. God wants to meet our needs so we can become true worshippers of Him. His ultimate test for us will be to see if, when our needs are met, our love for Him will be sufficient motivation for us to remain faithful and worship Him with our whole hearts. When we do that, we will have passed the hardest test in the Christian life, the prosperity test.

Bob Yandian

If you like this article, check out More Than Money and his book, From Just Enough to Overflowing, at the BYM Store.