The Poison of Prosperity

It is a great irony that some parents who grew up with virtually nothing want their kids to have everything.  Yet this fervent sacrifice to provide all their children desire creates in them a lack of appreciation for anything!  I was raised by parents who loved me and my siblings and provided for our needs.  Not only were we fed and provided with clothes and shelter, we received gifts for our birthdays.  On very rare occasions we even took family trips to Disneyland.  But we were not given whatever we wanted.  Therefore it didn't take too much for us to greatly appreciate "treats" like eating out at McDonald's or receiving a gift of beef jerky.  We never expected or felt entitled to have a Big Gulp at 7-11 or an ice cream when the truck came by.  My parents showed their love first through being present with us, supported each of their children to meet our individual needs, established clear boundaries through consistent, rigid discipline, and most of all through their faith in God.  The rod played a role in our raising, but it was outdone by kisses, hugs, and laughs.

Every good parent wants to see the needs of their children met.  More than food, water, clothing, housing or gifts, the greatest need of a child is of a spiritual nature.  My parents instilled in me the knowledge through scripture that I was a sinner in need of a Saviour.  I came to understand that the God who created me desired to be my heavenly Father, and that I would be His child.  One of the books of the Bible I loved to read from an early age was the book of Proverbs.  The wise and the foolish are often contrasted.  Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."  The biblical definition of a fool is one who denies the existence of God, or lives as if God does not exist (Ps. 14:1).  Unless children are instructed concerning their deep spiritual need, the success of their studies and career may more of a curse than a blessing.  Interestingly enough, the one thing that is almost an eternal death sentence for a human being is security and prosperity.  For what does the scripture say?  Proverbs 1:32 reads, "For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." The Hebrew word translated "complacency" in the NKJV is also translated at different times as "prosperity, peaceably, quietness, abundance."  The Strong's Concordance conveys the meaning as a genuine or false security.  If we find our temporal security in relationships, money, insurance, or anything other than God, we remain blind to our need for Him.

When a man or child without the fear of God has an abundance of goods, when they are prosperous and without threats, it works for their destruction.  Jesus said is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  Yet in Christ there is hope for all.  With men, it would be impossible:  with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27)!  Satan seeks to destroy men, and one way he does it is through prosperity.  It is good to give good gifts to our children, but may we not neglect their deepest need to fear God.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and He will supply all our needs.