The Paradox of Prosperity
When you’re in your prime earning years, it can be easy to shift your focus from what you truly need to how much you can build up. Am I maxing out my 401k contributions? When can I get that new car? Having more money means more choices to make. As Christ-followers, we must consistently choose whether to steward our God-given resources in ways that honor Him or to use them for the futile pursuit of earthly pleasures and possessions.
In a recent podcast, Ron Blue discusses this issue
“When Judy and I got married,” notes Ron, “we lived in a trailer on campus at Indiana University. It was 225 sq ft. It was 8ft wide, 6ft tall and 28 ft long. You could cook dinner and do the ironing without moving. When Judy did the ironing, I had to get out of the trailer or move to the back bedroom because there wasn't room for me and the ironing board in the front room. Well, as life went on, we had five children, 13 grandchildren, and began to manage college education, cars, all kinds of complexity retirement.”
As the years went by and his wealth grew, he found that “more” equals more choices, which equals more confusion. When he lived in the trailer, he didn't have to make a lot of decisions.
The point, he says, is not that everyone should live in a trailer. The point is this: Don't fall into the trap that more money and possessions will provide peace of heart and mind. You'll never have peace of heart and mind simply by having more. That's a spiritual perspective, not a financial perspective.
How Do Christians Find Contentment?
Contentment, above any other trait, should really be the hallmark of a mature believer's financial life.
Hebrews 13:5 says, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.' "
The starting point for "enough" is defined in this verse—it’s what I already have. For years I taught and wrote about the importance of the "How much is enough?" question. One day I realized that God had quantified "enough" in this verse.
Enough is what I have. I can be content where I am, with what I have, because contentment is a choice— a decision. Contentment can be learned by becoming more rooted in the reality of God's nearness and provision and by living in the spiritual reality of His promise that "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."
Even the apostle Paul learned contentment along the way, and he shares his insight in Philippians 4: “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot … I have learned the secret of being content whether well fed or hungry … I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Where To Draw the Line?
There’s nothing whatsoever wrong with financial prosperity. But it can become a problem if we’re not careful. So where should you draw the line and ensure you’re keeping your money in check and that it’s not interfering with your relationship with God?
As Ron further states, money, “becomes a problem when you pursue prosperity for its own sake, in the mistaken belief that more is always better; that more will make you happier; that more will solve all your problems. It becomes a problem when we look to our bank accounts and not God as our Provider.”
In reality, the more you possess, the more choices you are forced to make—and the less true freedom you actually experience. Unless you fully surrender control of your wealth and possessions to God, all those choices and options become burdens. You may, for instance, find yourself working more than when you had fewer choices just to maintain what you’ve acquired. But if you’re able to find contentment with what you already have, you’re far less likely to be taken in by the Paradox of Prosperity.
Faith & Finance Perspective:
When you find yourself with more wealth—and therefore more choices about what to do with it—what choices will you make? Identify some of the issues regarding your wealth and possessions that are the most difficult to surrender, and lay them at the feet of God, asking Him to help you release them. Challenge yourself to choose contentment and experience the freedom of resting in His promises.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
– 1 Timothy 6:17-19