Does God Want You To Be Rich?

Posted on Monday, September 18th, 2006 at 9:01 am

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The most recent (September 18) issue of Time magazine’s cover story is “Does God want you to be rich?â€?  It quotes Joel Osteen, megapastor and author (Time’s description), “I think God wants us to be prosperous.  I think he wants us to be happy.  I think he wants us to enjoy our lives.  I don’t think I’d say God wants us to be rich.â€?  Joyce Meyer, author and TV preacher, “Who would want something where you’re miserable, broke and ugly and you have to muddle through until you get to heaven?â€? Kirbyjon Caldwell (pastor and confidante to President Bush) “God wants you to own land.  The entire Old Testament is all about land.  Land represents that God is with you and God has blessed you.â€? (All except for Jesus I guess.  Sorry, a cynical voice of one of the many personalities that live rent free inside my head broke out for a moment. SL) Rick Warren, megapastor and author, “This idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy? Baloney. It’s creating a false idol.  You don’t measure your self-worth by your net-worth.â€?  Ron Sider, evangelical antipoverty crusader, “They have neglected the texts about the danger of riches.  Prosperity Gospel Lite is one of the most powerful forms of neglect of the poor.â€?

What they are we to think of all of this?  What should be the Christian’s view torward riches?  I ran across this quotation from Bernard of Clairvaux in his wonderful On Loving God.  Bernard says “If you see a hungry man open wide his mouth to the wind and puff up his cheeks with air to satisfy his hunger, will you not think he is out of his mind?  It is no less folly to think a rational soul will be satisfied rather than merely puffed up by any kind of material goods.â€?

I have written a letter of response to Time.  I have little faith that it will be published, but one never knows when God will use a small stone.  At the very least I can publish it here.  I’ll close with the letter.

DOES GOD WANT YOU TO BE RICH?

I have been a Christian minister for over twenty of my forty-six years. During that time I have visited hundreds of people in the hospital and performed over two hundred funerals.  It may seem crazy taking into account some of the preaching highlighted in the article, but never once during any of those visits or funerals has the hospitalized person or the family of the deceased asked me about how to get a bigger house or a nicer car. Put in terms of sermons that are more popular than any preacher of our day, those who are sick and dying want to know the message of “The Passion.â€?  Those who are seeking hope, peace, and solace from bigger houses and nicer cars will ultimately find themselves aboard “The Titanic.â€?

Samuel Lamerson, Ph.D
Assoc. Professor Knox Seminary
Assist. Pastor Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church