Common Misconception

"If they obey and serve him,

they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity

and their years in contentment.

But if they do not listen,

they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge."

Job 36:11-12

She was hurting, wounded by a failed marriage that was not at all what she imagined it would have been when she first walked down the aisle.  The abuse and unfaithfulness left her feeling like a shell-of-a-woman.  She cried out to God, "Is this the abundant life Jesus died to give me (John 10:10b)?"

I can't blame my friend for being disappointed in the way her life has turned out.  While she does have hope in Christ, she wonders what kind of benefit there is for her faithfulness to God.  How has her love for Him brought about this prosperity and blessing she's always reading about in His Word (Proverbs 3:1-2)?

Elihu wondered the same thing about Job:  If he's been so devoted to God and His ways, why is He suffering so?

When God says I can be like a tree planted by streams of water if I delight in His law, prospering in all I do, what does that mean (Psalm 1:1-3)?  Does it mean my life will be free from trouble and I'll be wealthy and pampered?  Or is there something more to this promise?

Fruit.  The pile of vines were stacked near the curb, ready for pick-up.  Even though they had produced quite a few blackberries the year before when they covered the back part of our yard, this year I had declared war on these insidious bushes and vowed to wipe them out.  Consequently, I spent every morning for two weeks digging out roots, cutting shoots, and dragging the vines to the street.  Now, the wilting plants produced nothing as they lay apart from their source of nutrients and water.  Without being rooted in the ground, these blackberry vines were worthless.

It's the same with me, Jesus tells me in John 15.  If I'm connected to Him, the source of all that I need, I will bear much fruit.  Apart from Him, there is nothing worthwhile that I'll be able to accomplish, no matter how hard I try.  I can work hard in service to the Lord, but if I'm not doing it with Him, it won't make an eternal difference.

This means the fruit is more important than the location of the vine.  As long as the plant is rooted in Christ, a crop will be yielded.  In other words, no matter my circumstances, God will use me for good when I'm connected to Christ.  It doesn't depend on how comfortable my life is, whether or not its free from suffering, or if it lines up with my expectations.  I will bear fruit if I'm abiding in Jesus.  In the pit.  During the trial.  In the midst of the pain.  Fruit will come.

I will prosper in fruit production when I stay connected to Christ, even through the trial.

Strong Roots.  I worried about the little sapling, newly planted and exposed to the elements.  The wind blew and blew, hammering the little tree.  I wondered if this would hamper it's growth or damage it in any way.  What I learned was that hardship stimulates strong root growth.  The harsher the environment, the more the tree will adapt and become tough.

This is like me, as well.  When I go through hard times, suffering much, my faith will grow.  If my faith only remains in my head, never tested out by facing tough, real-life issues, I'll never know if it's real.  It could just be words I say, or phrases I repeat, or truths I know.  

When I choose to wait on the Lord and I find new strength, or I when exchange my worry for prayer and experience an unfathomable peace flooding my soul, or when I believe God will get me through even though I don't see how it will work out, my faith grows stronger (Isaiah 40:28-31, Philippians 4:6-7, 2 Corinthians 5:7).  As I test out His promises and see them deliver time and time again, I'm able to trust Him even more.

My faith develops strong roots when I trust God throughout my life, no matter how hard times get.

Kingdom Prosperity.  I want it now.  I expect to see my reward in the here and now.  Since I live in a fast-food type of economy, I'm used to instant gratification.  The thing about God's kingdom is, my true treasure is being stored up in heaven.  This is delayed gratification at its best!

When I read about all the giants of faith in Hebrews 11, I find out that many of them did not receive what they were promised in this life (Hebrews 11:13-16).  Instead, they died waiting.  What's  up with that?  That seems unfair!  

In reality, they understood God's economy: The real treasure is yet to come!  There is nothing on this earth that can compare to what God has in store for us.  Staying true to Him, standing firm during the storm, keeping my faith strong will bring about rewards I cannot fathom.  It will be well worth my time to stay faithful to Him in this life, even if it seems it's not doing me any good.  In the end, when I enter into my eternal home lit by the glory of God, I'll be glad I waited to receive my blessing.

That's not to say there won't be good things to taste while here, but I had better be looking in the right place to receive those blessings.  I can't expect God to work within the parameters of this world, giving what is valued here.  While He can bless with money and material goods, that is not the true benefit for us.  For His children, He would rather give more valuable treasures like a rich, meaningful life with a purpose, the assurance of dwelling in the security of a perfect love, and the peace that only comes through Christ (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:38-39, John 14:27).

Prosperity in God's kingdom is quite different than I may expect, but much more valuable.

I often get it wrong, falling prey to a common misconception as I expect my life to follow a certain path as long as I'm true to God.  In reality, God has His own economy and His idea of success is quite different from mine.  Therefore, I must expect fruit production when I stay connected to Christ, development of strong faith, and kingdom prosperity as a result of my faithfulness.  This is so much better than what I first thought would be mine if I stay loyal to God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can look for my kingdom blessings instead of worldly ones.

When do I get disappointed because Jesus doesn't give as the world does?

How am I looking for the wrong kind of blessing?