PROSPERITY, IS IT DESERVED?

A culture of greed, selfishness, and arrogance in America has been exposed in the recent financial markets meltdown.  One’s success in our society is often measured by the amount of material possessions, or stuff, he or she accumulates.  The prevailing view among people of affluence is that they deserve the prosperity they enjoy.  Theirs is an attitude of:  “I worked long and hard for what I have, and I deserve to be prosperous.  Those people mired in poverty have not labored and sacrificed as I have, so they do not deserve to be well off.  Why should I give of my material possessions to help them when they are not worthy?”  That is an outlook shared by Christians and non-Christians alike, even those who claim to be obedient to the teaching of the Bible.  Is such a selfish stance justified in Scripture?

In Deuteronomy 8:7-18, we find an account of Moses’ farewell address to the Israelites as they were preparing to enter the Promised Land of Caanan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  They were getting ready to enter and possess a fertile land rich with water, natural resources, and pastures, as well as orchards, vineyards, and fields planted by the Caananites.  The Lord God was granting the Israelites prosperity they had not worked for.  Moses warned them not to become proud and believe their wealth and good fortune were the result of their intelligence and their labor.  Note verses 17 and 18:  “You may say in your heart, ‘my power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’  But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who is giving you power to make wealth.”  Christians today need also to recognize that God is the source of our good fortune.  Our power and ability to gain wealth comes from God, and we must never look down on and criticize those less fortunate.

We are told throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament to help downtrodden people in our midst.  That is one way we can obey Jesus’ commandment to love one another.