A year ago a single young woman came into my office frustrated and confused, she was looking for answers.  She had lost her job, her car had broke down and her rent was due.  For some time she had been attending a church in Tampa known for its teaching on what is called the “Prosperity Gospel.”  This kind of gospel is a mixture of scripture, pop-psychology and American consumeristic culture.  It is primarily an American phenomena, not found elsewhere in the world or in church history.  This young lady was very perplexed by the fact that God had not prospered her yet.  She needed a job, some money for her bills and 2 kids and her car fixed.   She told me that she felt entitled to these financial blessings because she faithfully attended her church, listened to christian music regularly and had refrained from sex for a number of months.  She seemed not capable of understanding why God was not rewarding her with prosperity, blessings and happiness that all God’s children are entiltled to.

This is a major flaw with prosperity theology, it teaches people that they are entitled to wealth, happiness, good health and other blessings that make us feel good and enjoy life here on earth.  It’s teachers tell people that God wants them to have good self esteem and an abundance of all the goodies that this world has to offer.  Those who have these things consider themselves blessed and in the will of God.  God basically wants to spoil his kids!  I guess the most amazing proclamation that I have heard of this theology  came from a famous TV preacher who before an audience of thousands with a big smile on his face  told  his listeners that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to ensure their prosperity in this life.

Why is this gospel false and biblically unsound?  Fact is, the Bible makes no such promises.  Yes, there are some in the Bible who were blessed by God with wealth and prosperity; Abraham, Job, Soloman and Jacob for example.  But the bulk of scripture does not promise great blessings, a new car, big home or a life of ease and happiness.  In fact, much of what we see in scripture is just the opposite.  In the Gospels we see a lack of prosperity among the followers of Jesus.  Jesus himself was homeless and sympathetic to the poor, never promising them prosperity, better times and positive self esteem in this life.  Instead there is much suffering, struggle, persecution and danger in following Jesus. 

Erwin McManus in his book The Barbarian Way tells us that being in the will of God is a dangerous place to be.  Those in the perfect will of God according to McManus found themselves in situaitions of high risk and danger.  Jesus was crucified, Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was beaten, jailed and ship wrecked.  In Hebrews 11 many of the great saints unnamed in the early church were not rewarded with prosperity, instead they were thrown to lions, beheaded and tortured.  The Jerusalem church was almost starved out of exsistance because of persecution and the poverty stricken Corinthian church sent funds for their relief.  Where was the promise of prosperity to these people?  Did God not care about their self esteem enough to provide them with wealth to buy nice homes and live debt free?

This kind of theology is tailor made for a self indulgent, self absorbed and me centered culture.  When you think you are the center of the universe and buy into the materialistic and consumeristic cultural values of the secular world around you, prosperity theology is what fits you best and you see yourself entitled to it!