You've heard it, and I've heard it, declared emphatically that being poor, sick, or in any way disadvantaged in life is just not God's will. In a certain sense, that is true, but then the one who makes that declaration proceeds to pray for you in a strange impassioned way. All well and good so far, but they may also try to instruct you that if you don't get this thing they just prayed for you, it's because your faith failed.
You've just had a taste of the Prosperity Gospel, AKA Word-Faith teaching, but also called pejoratively, "Name-It-and-Claim-It." The teaching is that you must speak it to have it. It's as if words have magical power. While this doctrine's proponents deny it, this sounds just like you are supposed to leverage God into doing something. It sounds as if God just isn't going to let you have something good for you unless you get all your tickets punched. In other words, it's right back into legalism.
When I mention my poverty life-style, I am scolded by these brothers and sisters. They imply that if I am poor, I am not walking in faith. That's a lie from Satan. I'm poor precisely because of my faith walk. I chose to surrender to the ministry call of God knowing it would leave me poor. Being poor was nothing new, because I had grown up that way. I've made good money at times, but I always gave it away, or gave away the things money bought. When I tried to invest in something lasting and solid, God took that away. He took it because my attempt to buy real estate was not His will in the first place. And I knew it.
When I found secular employment that made me pretty comfortable, He saw to it I lost the job. Lately, every secular job I tried to take ran like sand between my fingers. Not that working is wrong, by no means. For me to gain much in secular employment is a trap; it keeps me from being ready to serve in the ministry. Jesus warned about serving Mammon, repeatedly. He also promised everything I really needed to serve the Father would be provided. To chase every creature comfort as some sort of Heavenly birthright is to force fit our American middle class mindset into Scripture. Take those glasses off and read what it says.
Paul makes it clear, in 1 Timothy 6, that God's will can include some unpleasant things in this life. He warns Timothy to differentiate between freedom in the Spirit and demanding freedom from slavery. You see, in the First Century, some people came to Christ while in the legal status of slave. Due to the customs of the times, a slave might also be the pastor of the local congregation. When the master shows up for worship, the slave ought to be mature enough not to show off and make the master uncomfortable. Indeed, if the master becomes a believer, the slave should know better than to put pressure on his master unfairly to free him. Rather, the slave is to accept the situation, and bless the Lord's Name by being such a fine virtuous slave no one could complain.
In our modern society, we are horrified at the idea of slavery. Paul said if you can get free, fine. If not, deal with it (1 Corinthians 7:21-22). He never once justified running away (see Philemon), nor fighting to get free, etc. Let God decide. It's not a failure of faith if you happen to remain a slave. So how is this different from poverty, disability, or any other discomfort in life? Paul said live in contentment, knowing God's grace is sufficient.
Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:2-10
It is indeed true God intended none of these things for His creation. He gave us a choice; we brought them into the world. We also brought death and sin and damnation on ourselves. That's our default situation: suffering, dying, going to Hell. That God saves us from damnation is no guarantee He'll also save us from the suffering of the world. Those two things are in a different class. He forgives sin, and removes its eternal consequence, but how often have we been forced to bear the temporal consequences of our sins? In case you didn't notice, you also bear the consequences of the sins of others, especially when those others have earthly authority over you, or a part of your life.
I accepted God's calling to the ministry. Along with that came a whole raft of choices which, as far as I could see, would enhance or diminish the effects of that ministry. To maximize that ministry includes choosing things that put me in poverty, and keep me there. How hard is that to understand?
Ed Hurst
09 November 2004
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