Joy Through Trials

When life knocks us down—financially or otherwise—how are we to respond as Christians?

I recall a heated conversation among a group of Christians in college. One side thought suffering could be redemptive, allowing God to work in our lives through pain. The other side was appalled. No, they countered: setbacks are to be rebuked and reversed in Jesus’ name, right now. If you have an illness, rebuke it! If you’re out of money, claim provision!

This chasm between a “redemptive suffering” perspective and a “prosperity gospel” perspective couldn’t be any wider. And it really comes back to an interpretation of Scripture.

“IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE.” —JESUS, JOHN 16:33A

We all want to feel comfortable and have nice things. And the Bible affirms the blessings of health and possessions, but we aren’t guaranteed them. We should praise God when we have health and wealth, while recognizing they aren’t a litmus test of our status with God.

The prosperity gospel is an ideology that fuses our economic status, our physical well-being, and our overall lifestyle with the status of our spiritual life. In many ways, this thinking goes beyond Scripture to make idols out of health and wealth. It’s often paired with manipulative, unbiblical fundraising methods. At the heart of this ideology is the ancient, pagan idea of, “Give me your money, and I’ll make sure you get blessed.”

For millennia, witch doctors and idol makers promised health and wealth to those who gave enough money, prayers, and allegiance to the spiritual forces they served. Unfortunately, teachers of the prosperity gospel drag us back toward these ancient lies, but they do so in the name of Jesus.

THE PROBLEM OF THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL

“CONSIDER IT PURE JOY, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER YOU FACE TRIALS OF MANY KINDS…” —JAMES 1:2

Teachers of the prosperity gospel suggest that we can earn God’s blessings by making the right verbal declarations, having sufficient faith, or giving enough money to the right ministry or leader. Relatedly, they may suggest that if you give less than 10% of your income to their church, God might curse your financial life. (Giving 10% to your church is wonderful, but only as a free and voluntary gift of grace, “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

The prosperity gospel starts with a true idea—that God loves us, works in our lives, and desires our well-being—but then takes it too far, claiming that living biblically promises prosperity. Teachers of the prosperity gospel over-index their theological system toward the personal comfort we can obtain in our short earthly lives. They trick Christians into hitching their spiritual wagon to their physical and economic well-being.

In a prosperity gospel worldview, any setback to our earthly situation is to be rebuked, as we “claim and speak the promises of God” to restore our well-being. This leaves people who face a lasting loss of wealth or health in an awkward situation. Could their suffering be due to a moral or spiritual failure? A lack of faith? Not enough generosity? A generational curse? Biblically, the answer might be “none of the above.”

In Scripture, many godly characters, such as David and Abraham, were healthy and wealthy, but others were not. The Apostles made financial sacrifices to follow Jesus, and nearly all of them paid for their faith with their lives. The early church in Jerusalem suffered so much financial distress that Paul undertook a multi- year collection from surrounding regions to provide aid.

Of course, Jesus Himself suffered immensely and even became poor for us all.

As the One who went to the Cross for others, Jesus wanted us to expect hardship and suffering—not to be surprised by it or to “rebuke” it. As He told his disciples in John 15:20, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’”

In a prosperity-centered worldview, we are apparently to be greater than Mary, the Apostles, Jesus, and the early church in Jerusalem.

FACING CHALLENGES BIBLICALLY: THREE STEPS TO JOY “DO NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE FIERY TRIAL… BUT REJOICE INSOFAR AS YOU SHARE CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS…” —1 PETER 4:12-13

The letters J-O-Y form a helpful reminder for how to walk through the hardest seasons of life, when our finances or health may let us down.

J – Jesus went first. O – Orient my heart. Y – Yes to His purposes.

Let’s imagine using this model to think biblically about two common life situations. Have I lost money or been treated poorly by an employer?

➀ Jesus went first. Jesus is my great high priest who empathizes with my weakness (Hebrews 4:15). He knows what it’s like to face injustice and loss. He lived under burdensome taxation; He was robbed of money by Judas. My Savior understands my situation and is present with me. Lord, give me grace and wisdom! ➁ Orient my heart. When I feel anxious about money, He invites me to bring those burdens to Him (Phillippians 4:6; Matthew 6:34). The Lord is with me and shepherds me through seasons of lack and uncertainty (Psalm 23). And even when the world feels unjust, I remember that God sees everything and His justice will have the final word (Psalm 72). In His presence, I find peace that I could never secure on my own. ➂ Yes to His purposes. I cry out for God’s help, but trust His wisdom in how He answers. I choose not to be ruled by fear or anxiety. I’ll make the best stewardship decisions that I can, trust in Christ, and live in joyful obedience, even if I can’t escape the situation. Do I face a terrible health challenge? ➀ Jesus went first. Jesus is my great high priest, who wept in overwhelming sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He faced His own death (Matthew 26). He knows what I feel. He suffered for me and gives me strength. He asked God for another path, but was faithful on the path He was given. ➁ Orient my heart. Scripture tells me life will be a vapor; a fading flower; to number my days (Ecclesiastes 9, Psalms 90). Jesus gives me a beautiful picture of a future home with Him, with no death, crying, or pain (John 14:2-4, Revelation 21:4). Knowing that I’m secure in Christ for eternity, I cry out to Him for strength today. ➂ Yes to His purposes. I pray for healing with the aid of the Church (James 5:14) yet trust God even if I am not healed (James 5:10-11). When my life nears it’s end, I long to remain faithful—bearing witness to Christ’s hope with peace rather than bitterness. However many days I have left, how can I glorify God in them?

In all of life’s struggles, may we pursue JOY together, remembering that Jesus went first to orient our hearts to a biblical worldview so we can say yes to His purposes.

“I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF FACING PLENTY AND HUNGER, ABUNDANCE AND NEED. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” —PHILIPPIANS 4:12B-13

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