Below is a clip from John Piper, a pastor, theologian, and author from Minneapolis. In it, he professes his "hatred" for what has become known as the the "prosperity gospel". Strong words. The "prosperity gospel" is a message, a theology, and really a phenomenon which has found explosive popularity in the church in recent years, both in America and in the world at large. The idea will probably sound familiar to you - you may have seen it in best-selling book titles, heard it on TV when you were flipping channels, or maybe you even agree with it yourself. It goes something like this:"God wants you to prosper. The more you seek God and do what he says, the more you will see health, wealth, and success come into your life. And if things are not going well for you right now, you need to be more obedient."
Is this a helpful mindset? Is it accurate? Here is Piper's take:
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1 comment:
Amen, Piper. Thanks for sharing that, Ross! So well put, that the 'prosperity gospel' "elevates gifts above the Giver"- which also operates under the assumption that we know what's best for ourselves, and what we want (the gifts) is 'best' for us. I am so glad he articulates well the idea of having our eyes on Jesus (which is where real prosperity is- Jeremiah 29:11), versus having them on our immediate health/wealth/prosperity.
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