Is prosperity actually a bad thing? What if financial thriving really is something we are meant to do?
The concept of prosperity, especially in regards to financial success, is something that has become controversial within the church. However, what if we’re missing the entire point of prosperity? In a new livestream, Kap Chatfield exposes the five lies that are blocking the church from true biblical prosperity.
Lie 1: Prosperity is a curse word.
Chatfield immediately shuts down this misconception that prosperity is something Christians should avoid like the plague.
“Jesus Himself said that the thief, the devil came to steal kill and destroy,” Chatfield says. “He steals the things of God that are the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness and he perverts them. Because if he can trick the church into believing that these promises are evil…then all of a sudden we have to block out a lot of areas of Scripture.”
Lie 2: Prosperity is an American construct.
Chatfield next refutes the belief that prosperity is solely an American construct, and therefore it is pointless. He shows how biblically inaccurate this view really is.
“Prosperity did not begin with America. Prosperity began with the Bible,” Chatfield says. “Prosperity began with the Israelites.”
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He points out that the first promise to be prosperous and blessed was given to Abraham by God, not thousands of years later in the United States.
Lie 3: Money is evil.
For years, money has been inaccurately described as the root of evil. However, biblically speaking, it is being caught up in the love of money that can lead us to destruction. Money in and of itself is simply a necessary tool to help provide us with the goods and resources we need to live. As Chatfield points out, all of us use money, and this cannot be avoided. It is when we chase after money itself that we see other areas of life falter and fail.
“If money were evil, why would a good man leave it for his children’s children?” Chatfield points out the verse that says, “Money actually solves a lot of problems” (Eccl. 10:19).
Lie 4: Poverty makes us holy.
Another lie that the church believes is that we are somehow made holy by being poor. However, Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. Instead of seeing ourselves and our lives as nothing more than to be belittled, Jesus came to give us fullness of life.
“Don’t believe the lie that poverty equals holiness,” Chatfield says. “Poverty is a strategy from the devil.”
Lie 5: Ministry is a pathway to poverty.
Many Christians are caught up in the life that doing ministry will guarantee them to live impoverished lives. However, this does not have to be the case.
“If God has called you to minister and God has called you to advance the kingdom God…God is actually interested in you as a preacher and you as a minister…He’s interested in you prospering,” Chatfield says.
The lies that have infiltrated the church—such as equating prosperity with greed, misinterpreting poverty as holiness and assuming that ministry leads to financial ruin—are distractions that prevent believers from stepping into the fullness of God’s provision. By embracing the truth that prosperity is a tool for advancing God’s kingdom, Christians can break free from these misconceptions and align themselves with God’s purpose for thriving in all areas of life, including financial abundance.
Be on the lookout for Kap Chatfield’s new book, Prosperity Is Not a Curse Word.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
