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Author: Michael Diener
Date: 21.08.2010
Category: Prosperity Gospel, Poverty and Wealth
While reading through articles and commentaries regarding the so called "gospel of prosperity" I recognize 2 different reactions in my heart:
- yes, a "prosperity gospel" is dangerous and wrong. It´s misleading trustful children of God and our congress should make this very clear.
- but, such a reaction, as necessary it is, is not costly at all for myself. It´s not "my problem". I never preached or taught such and never will and, in my opinion, the influence of prosperity gospel in germany (and the most northern parts of europe), is very small.
Really ? May be a hidden but very dangeraous aspect of a gospel of prosperity is also connected to my life in Germany. The message is not " believe and you will become wealthy and healthy", but the message is "believe and don´t mind being wealthy !"
Living in a wealthy country (with many poor people) makes it difficult to look at the personal circumstances of life style and wealth from a - may be - more radical point of view. My preaching and teaching about the cost of discipleship like it´s presented by the rich young ruler (Matthew 19,16ff) or about the widow´s offering (Mark 12,41ff) will differ depending if I ever "left everything and followed Jesus" or not.
So materialism IS a dangerous enemy for our churches in germany (and Europe ? and the U.S. ?)and for myself, because financial point of views often seem to reign our surveys and discussions. And sometimes we may preach or teach a hidden "prosperity gospel" not merely with our words but with also with our deeds, because the way we live we are making no difference.
Without shifting the focal point too much, this is something I would like to talk, think and pray about.
Keywords: Prosperity, wealth, giving, poverty, rich, poor, money
Views: 5205
Comments: 4
Recommendations: 0
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United States
You make an excellent point. Many of us in the US are very willing and able to embrace the ideas of the prosperity gospel (though we may not acknowledge it as such). There’s some unspoken message at play -- we must have done something to make God really happy, so that we have been blessed so richly. That mentality requires simultaneous dismissal of any notion to part with material comfort. In fact, it seems the easiest way I’ve ever seen to make people squirm in the pews in churches in the US is to start talking about giving away their money!
03.04.2011
Kenya
Hallo Michael,
I think you have an important point. ‘How then should we live’?
I would say, that I think that the widespread current Christian understanding that seems to be that those of us in the West should make as much money as they can SO AS to give it to ‘the poor’ is faulted. This is because, the very money often causes more problems for the poor than that it helps them – problems like believing in the prosperity gospel!
The way many people live in the West, should however I guess be an embarrassment. I baulk at times thinking over how many people from Africa would / do react to the kinds of ‘normal lifestyles’ that many Westerners engage in unthinkingly. The reason this is not ‘prosperity gospel’, I guess, is because we do not give God the credit for such prosperity. We take it for ourselves …
It is hard to find a way out of this situation. I don’t think that Christians should throw their money away through fear of the jealousy of others either …
23.08.2010
Germany
@ Jim_Harries:
Thank you, Jim. As long as we don´t find the/a answer (and this may take a lifetime), it´s helfpul to share the question though.
Momentary, I sincerley believe, that God wants me to live and work in Germany. So, with my family, I´m part of society and culture and I find it challenging and exciting to discover how "being light and salt" in economic questions is executed and lived.
My motto ´til this day: be thankful - love - care - share - and let HIM reign
24.08.2010
Switzerland
That is so true! We do not need to preach on prosperity because for the moment we are very ’blessed’... Quite easy from this side of the issue! Now to say that God is providing generously for us to give away is a good message for our part of the world.
23.08.2010
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