Is It Okay to Financially Prosper?
The following was excerpted from Free to Follow: Discover the Riches of a Surrendered Life by Michael Blue.
Is it okay for us to be financially prosperous when pursuing our God-given gifts? Short answer, yes.
The Bible has several examples of financially prosperous people following Jesus—Phoebe, Cornelius, Dorcas, and Philemon. The Bible doesn’t prohibit business or making a profit, but it is emphatic in its warnings against making money an idol or hoarding it. The way to protect against these dangers is to avoid the temptation to let our business success be accompanied by an ever-increasing lifestyle or an ever-increasing stockpile. This is where we get in trouble. If we look at profit and success as something we deserve, we’ll have a tendency to spend it on ourselves or sock it away for future possibilities. After all, we earned it. God doesn’t give us wealth merely for our consumption. He gives it to us so we can display to the world that money is not our greatest treasure, Christ is.
Resist the temptation to assume that wealth gained is a blessing from God. Wealth can be as much of a burden as a blessing. It weighs us down and keeps us from running a light race. The price of wealth can be extreme. The time and mental energy needed to manage wealth often removes us from being productive for Christ. Don’t seek to be burdened in this way, but if you are, use it to point to Christ and his worth.
To be clear, this isn’t a call to asceticism. Neither wealth nor poverty is the end goal—surrender is. When we surrender and hunger for God, our longings change. What we want is more of God, to know him, to be in his presence, to give our lives to him. When we understand this and happen to have wealth, we’re positioned to handle it well. We’ll find ourselves giving great portions of it away, looking for ways to reduce our lifestyles, and humbly exemplifying a life of love (1 Cor. 13).
Our task is to work diligently for the Lord and use whatever gain results for his name and his glory. Our task isn’t to enrich ourselves or live more comfortably. Our task is to walk in Jesus’s footsteps.
Live Simply
What sort of lifestyle does someone following Jesus embrace? In looking at Jesus’s life, his early followers, and his most faithful followers throughout church history, one characteristic stands out—simplicity. The intentional removal of clutter and noise from life in order to more faithfully follow Jesus. Simplicity is what Paul has in mind when he writes, “[G]odliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Tim. 6: 6–8).
There it is. Simple living at its best—food and clothing. A life following Jesus leads us to godliness and contentment so we can be content with the basics. Because, ultimately, we find our contentment in Jesus.
This isn’t about living sad lives, unwilling to enjoy God’s gifts. Simplicity isn’t even about changing an economic lifestyle, but rather about cultivating an attitude of joy and peace in God. Simplicity isn’t a stopgap until we get to live lavishly, it’s a lifestyle that frees us to follow wherever God leads. Enabling us to know God more intimately; removing countless distractions that prevent us from knowing God. This call to simple living isn’t a call to sacrifice, it’s a call to satisfaction. A call to know God more.
Faith & Finance Perspective
What’s most striking about what the author writes above is that there doesn’t seem to be a different set of biblical guidelines or standards based on how much money we have. The calling is the same, regardless of our level of wealth: live simply.
Living simply is a countercultural posture. The world would argue that placing limits on our spending is an assault on our freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. But Christ’s example, and that of His committed followers throughout the ages, shows us that living simply—unencumbered by material trappings and the complications they bring—is the true path to freedom, joy, and peace.
As we free ourselves from the burden of debt and the need to find fulfillment through material comforts, something amazing happens. We not only alleviate the day-to-day stress over our budgets, but we move into a space where we can respond to a sudden need God invites us to meet—whether blessing someone going through financially hard times, sponsoring a teen in your church for a short-term missions trip, or supporting an international worker who is working to establish gospel presence where none yet exists. Being free to accept God’s invitation into His work brings a joy we can’t possibly experience through earthly means.
Take some time to ask God how you can simplify your life. Ask Him specifically what he would have you surrender to create or increase the margins to participate in His purposes. His response won’t be burdensome—but will rather lighten your load.
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
- Jesus (Matthew 11:29-30)