Daily Bread
I've been thinking today about financial blessing and prosperity theology . . . that God wants to bless us and give us abundance.
I don't think it's true.
I think God wants to bless us when it makes for Him to bless us, according to His perfect will. I also think that he wants to withhold blessings . . . . according to His perfect will. I also think that He brings pain . . . according to His perfect will. Some say that He can't cause pain/evil . . . I don't think it much matters what you think about it. I don't think pain, either physical or otherwise, is evil.
It is hard for me to think that we should pray to God for 'blessings', where blessings are defined as more than what we need. Jesus said "Give us, today, our daily bread". The most I can figure that He prayed for would be to have his impending crucifixion taken from Him . . . which was immediately followed by, "Not my will, but Yours be done."
It's easy for me to get uptight about money . . . not for materialistic reasons . . . just to make sure that there is always enough there. It would be easy for me to pray for financial blessing . . . but I don't think that's what God would have for me, and I certainly can't, in my mind's ear, hear Jesus praying for it.
Give me, today, my daily bread.
Grace.
Des
2 comments:
Just playing the devil's advocate here, but what about something like...let's say, cancer? It ravages a body and causes those who endure it (yes, even people who love and LIVE for God and His kingdom)incredible suffering. I myself have a hard time believing that the Enemy of God, who is inherently evil, doesn't have a part in that. Just a thought...
Dear anonymous:
I agree . . . I never said that the enemy of all things good didn't play a role in evil. My intended thought was that I don't think it much matters if we believe God allows pain (i.e. through the devil's work) or causes it Himself, or some combination of both.
It was somewhat of an incidental comment and doesn't really contribute to the overall thought of the post . . . my comment, I mean. The point of the post was that I think Jesus rolled with whatever punches were thrown at Him, by whomever.
Thanks for the comments.
Post a Comment