Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. – 3 John 2

You may have read this passage in John many times, but today, make an effort to really focus on what prospering means to you. Make it personal. Think about as you read these words, what prosperity, true prosperity, looks like or would like in your life. Get a mental picture of this and hold onto it. Don’t wait, do it right now. If you are truly prosperous, how to you act, who is around you, what do you have, where do you live, and most importantly why are you prosperous.

It’s Okay to Prosper

If you had a difficult time imagining prosperity in your life, you may need to renew your mind to what God has really said about prospering you. The best way to do this is to consider passages from the Bible. As Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Now, don’t let the scripture you are about to read just sink into your intellect, take hold of it and let it be absorbed into your heart. Then, as soon as you possibly can, act on the Word that you read.

Even though 3 John 2 clearly says it’s God’s will to prosper you, you may still be stuck on a familiar saying, which is “money is the root of all evil”. This is from the Bible but it is missing three critical words. Read the scripture directly from the Bible from 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Notice, that it says, the love of money. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, you can fall into the trap of loving it.

Quick Tip: Start thinking of money as a tool. If you use a tool in the right way, you can do amazing things. For example, if you use a hammer appropriately, you can build a house. However, there are many people who have used a hammer very inappropriate ways, even to commit murder.

God’s desire is for you to prosper. See, how the Psalmist states it in Psalm 35:27, “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Think about that for a second, God gets pleasure when His servant prospers. You can make God happy by doing well. That is so awesome!

Prosperity Is More Than Money

When you envisioned what your life would look like if you were truly prosperous, did you see more than things money can buy? Did you see happiness and love? If you did, that is very good because prosperity includes every area of your life. You should experience prosperity in your relationships, in your emotional well-being, in your spiritual development, in your knowledge and wisdom, in your finances, and every other area of your life.

You have no doubt seen or know someone with lots of money who is miserable. If this is the case, then, you know that just having money is not really experiencing prosperity. In fact, with the exception of money, some of those people are experiencing lack in one or more of the other areas in their life. What good is money if you don’t have people around you who love you? What good is money if you are too sick to enjoy it? What good is money if it causes you so much stress that you have no joy in your life?

Use Your Prosperity to Bless Others

Instead of being a reservoir, which collects water, consider becoming a river, which channels water. When we are prospered, it is not only for us to enjoy the fruits, but it is also to share and help others.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.- 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

We are called to help those in need as Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” When you live in prosperity, which God wants you to do, then you will have the means necessary to help others. What a wonderful place that is to be.

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. – Psalm 35:27 (King James Version)

You’ve probably heard it said that money is the root of all evil. That is a lie. Even if your preacher was the one who said it, it is simply not supported by scripture. Look closely at what the scripture this erroneous teaching is rooted really says:

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version)

Notice that this passage says the LOVE OF MONEY. This is a heart condition not a financial condition.

A poor person can love money just as much as a rich person.

Money, by itself, is neutral. It is neither good or evil. However, it is a powerful instrument. Whether the instrument is used as a weapon of destruction or a channel for blessing is strictly dependent upon the POSSESSOR of it. If it’s in your heart to do good, then money in your hands will be used to help people. If it’s in your heart to do evil, your money will be used for your own selfish pleasures.

PROSERITY THROUGH OBEDIENCE

With money, comes responsibility. When you have money, you have the ability to change your world and the world of others. This ability is not limited to money; however, money, in a very practical way, makes things possible that simply can’t be achieved without it. As an example, how will missionaries be sent to China or Africa or anywhere else without a plane ticket? How will you buy a ticket without money?

There is a right way to prosper and a wrong way. The right way is submitting to God’s plan, purpose, and will for your life. If you do this, then, you have can experience wealth without the problems:

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. – Proverbs 10:22 (King James Version)

One of the first things that you need to do after being saved is to get into financial covenant with God. How do you do this? Through the tithe. The tithe is sometimes a controversial subject because it hits people right where it matters — in the heart. Do you love God more than you love money? What hold first place in your life?
8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

- Malachi 3:8-10 (King James Version)

There are some people, even preachers, who will say that the tithe is not for today. However, this doesn’t make sense. The principle of giving first fruits was demonstrated since the beginning of man. Even Adam was asked to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

- Genesis 2:16,17

Adam’s sons brought offerings to God. Notice that Abel’s offering included the first-born of his flock, and it was accepted. Cain brought fruit of the ground, but not the first, and it was not accepted.

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

- Genesis 4:3-7

These examples, as well as that of Abraham and others, were before the Law was ever given to Moses. To give you further confirmation that the tithe is just as relevant today as ever, consider the following passage:

18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

- Genesis 14:18-20

As great as Abram (later God changed his name to Abraham) was, he gave a tenth of all the plunder to Melchizedek, priest of the most high God. We see in the passage below that Jesus’ priesthood is in the order of Melchizedek. There are only two situations where Melchizedek is mentioned in the Bible. First, he is mentioned in relationship to Abraham giving him the tithe. Second, he is mentioned in relationship to Jesus, who is our high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. – Hebrews 6:20

If you really want to understand this priesthood, and how it relates to Aaron’s priesthood, read Hebrews chapter seven. This chapter is very clear on the tithe, and giving it to Jesus, the one declared to be living. If you are not currently tithing, start immediately. Don’t let religion, selfishness, or greed rob you of Abraham’s Covenant Blessing.

Do you realize that money in and of itself is morally neutral? Consider this for a moment, a person spends $2,000 a week to support his cocaine habit. Is this money good or evil? I submit to you that the purpose that this money is used is evil. Now, let’s say the same person gets saved and spends that $2,000 to support missionary work in Africa. I would say that this money is being used for good. When we really look at money, it is a tool. It is often referred to as an instrument. A scalpel in the hand of a heart surgeon is a good use of that tool or instrument. However, that same scalpel in the hand of a murderer is an evil use of that tool.

Thus, whether money is good or evil is dependent upon who holds it or controls it, and their motive for doing so. There is definitely a dark side to money, which is called greed.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:10

Greed (or the LOVE of money) is what happens when money controls the person rather than the person controlling the money. Money is my servant not my master. Making money your master is a form of idolatry. By using money to do God’s work instead of letting money use you, you are giving the proper direction to the power of money.

If, as Christians, we relinquish control of money to evildoers, then, we are assured that the world will continue to get darker. On the other hand, if we shake off the strong cultural norm that Christians should not be wealthy, we can change the overall nature of our society and reach more people for Christ.

Obviously, we must ALWAYS examine our motives. James 4 states,

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

It’s OK to have gold, as long as gold doesn’t have you. Jesus came to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10) and, believe it or not, that includes finances. Our prosperity is our witness that we are different from the world and a sign that God does bless His covenant children in ALL ways.