The prosperity gospel and its dangers · 1:19am Feb 13th, 2019
I watched this last week. I disagree with the title for a couple of reasons; A. the true gospel is indestructible, B. American pastors aren't the only ones who have, or are capable of, distorting the Bible's message in the minds of their audience. I admit, I probably am prejudiced against the title, as someone who cares about this country.
That bit aside, I agree with everything else. I admit, I've fallen prey to this idea in the past. I still have a shameful memory as a little boy saying that I hated God because my kite wouldn't fly, and more recently (like four or five years ago) asking God to help me win impossible battles in Total War games on the same premise that this video opposes. Thankfully, God restored my soul each time. These incidents highlight an easy to miss aspect; we pray for things we want, then get upset when we don't get them.
Well, I have a question in response; as a parent, would you rather buy your child the food they NEED, or the toy they WANT? In the context of fulfilling a need (eating when hungry) or a want (fun, enjoyment, etc.), which would a responsible parent choose for their child? The answer is rather obvious. Feeding the child is much more important than their immediate happiness. God, being the most responsible and loving Parent of all, is going to give us what we need, rather than what we think we need or want. We may not understand why He does not answer our prayers, or why He doesn't answer them the way we think He should. However, He desires to bring us closer to Himself and to better our character, so that we may truly Love Him with all our heart, strength, soul, and mind, and love our neighbor as ourselves.
That doesn't mean that God wants us miserable. I believe He does want us to be joyful. But what we have to ask ourselves is whether our joy is based in the Lord - thankfulness to Him for what He has graciously given, joy over his grace - or whether its based on the thing we're after. Again, I'm not the best example of this, and I've made and probably will make mistakes in the future on this premise.
As the narrator says, love is the only thing that lasts forever, and the only thing that gets better with time. By love, I don't mean lustful or otherwise sexual love, I mean the kind that cares about others and wants their betterment because you care about them. It is not a reckless, foolish love, but one that is wholesome, fulfilling, and that brings us closer together. Christ died to save us from our sins. His victory over death is shared by all who believe in Him, may His glory be amplified.
May the Lord watch over and keep you all. May godly love bless you all.
Wow, that video was amazing! I, believe it or not, was unaware that there are people who don’t understand what, to me, is a really simple concept, but then again, I’m a little out of touch with things in general, so I guess that makes sense. Either way, this is exactly what I’ve always thought, and it’s such a wonderful concept! I absolutely agree with this video, it’s truly amazing!
And I especially like the part about love being the only thing that lasts forever, that is something I feel I understand much better than many people, and I strongly believe that love is the most important thing in the world.
I am really glad you shared this with us, thanks for this!
The only part of this video that I find distasteful is the title.
I'll certainly agree that some aspects of American Culture allowed the so called 'Prosperity Gospel' to distort what it means to be Christian (as well as the image that Christians have in the eyes of Non-Christians), but crediting it to the nation as a whole suggests that there are zero 'True' Christians in the country.
Blessed be