Garry continued his series on Joseph this morning, reading from Gen 39:2-6. Here, we see how the Lord was with Joseph, how Joseph lived under God’s favour (see also Gen 26:28, Josh 6:27, 1 Sam 3:19 for other examples of this.) God’s favour is not a divine charm, available only for a favoured few; it is for all who will walk in humble obedience to Him. To live with God’s favour is to truly prosper; the ‘prosperity gospel’ is not to be measured in terms of wealth or health but in terms of our relationship to God. Jesus was not wealthy; He was supported by other people; Paul had to work to support himself as a missionary. We must understand prosperity always in relation to God. Joseph may not have always liked what was happening to him, but we are told that he prospered because others saw God’s hand on his life. God was a major part of his life; he lived with reference to God at all times.
Joseph’s life was one of substance. He was found to be trustworthy, so he was trusted; he was found to be reliable, so others relied on him. He was found to be a responsible person and so he was given responsibility. At each level, he fulfilled expectations because he honoured God in everything he did. We too should seek to be like Joseph, being salt and light in our communities. As our church name implies, we need to be involved in our communities; our mission aim is to be ‘with God in the community, with God for the community.’ As we do this, we can move forward, develop and prosper, as Joseph did.
The real prosperity gospel is not one for personal gain and blessing; this is selfish and focuses only on the now; it does not touch the heart of God. The real prosperity gospel is one where we walk with God so closely, know Him so well that we touch His heart and that flows out to everything we do and everyone we meet. The real prosperity gospel is about giving, about giving His life to everyone around us. To prosper is not about having an easy time, but about moving forward with God every step of the way. Like the Star Trek Vulcan blessing, we can then live long and prosper!
