For some reason, the world thinks Christians should be poor or desperately trying to avoid poverty. Let’s get one thing straight: prosperity isn’t a dirty word, and it’s certainly not selfish. Somewhere along the way, people began to believe that if we love God, we should live penniless, struggling, and barely making it. Thankfully, God says otherwise.
All good things come from God, including money and financial blessings. “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 8:18). God wants us blessed in every area of life—not just financially, but in our relationships, our health, and our peace of mind. In a world that views prosperity as only concerning money, this is the proper perspective for believers to have.
Money itself isn’t evil; having a wrong relationship with it is. “For the love of money is the root of all evil…” (1 Timothy 6:10). Having wealth doesn’t make us ungodly any more than being poor makes us holy. Prosperity is about trusting God as our source and managing what He places in our hands with the heart of a steward.
Jesus taught through parables that God expects increase, but not waste. In Matthew 25:14-30, the faithful stewards multiplied what they were given, and their master rewarded them. The one who buried his talent in fear lost even what he had. Our heavenly Father is a God of multiplication who gives resources so that His kingdom work can flourish.
Real prosperity is revealed in our motives. Abram tithed because he was thankful for God’s deliverance: “And blessed be the most high God… and he gave him tithes of all” (Genesis 14:20). Zacchaeus gave because of his love for Jesus (Luke 19:5-8), and Mary poured out costly oil at Jesus’ feet because of her gratitude (John 12:1-3). Prosperity flows when giving is a reflex of love, not a way to impress people or manipulate God.
Jesus affirmed that His mission wasn’t condemnation, but salvation and wholeness: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). Grace isn’t just for church folks, but for everyone. When our hearts are right, God can get resources through us to bless others, and He’ll make sure they get to us as well.
Joseph’s life demonstrated that prosperity works anywhere. Despite being sold into slavery, he still prospered. “The Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man… And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand” (Genesis 39:2, 3, AMPC). Prosperity isn’t about a big house or a fancy car, but about God’s favor resting on us, causing everything we touch to succeed.
Taking care of God’s business lets Him take care of ours. Prosperity is having more than enough so that we can be a blessing to others. Jesus said that whatever we do for “the least of these,” we do unto Him (Matthew 25:40). Biblical prosperity is never selfish; it focuses on advancing His kingdom, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and sharing God’s love with the world.
God certainly wants us prosperous, but not so that we can hoard wealth or show off. He blesses us so that we can be His hands and feet on the earth. When our motives are pure and our giving flows from love, prosperity becomes inevitable.
