Prosperity Gospel and the Wickedness of our Hearts

There is a lot about the prosperity gospel that rubs me wrong... recently the New York Times wrote an article titled "Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich" and it makes me cringe. I have a hard time with the fact that ministries can so readily adopt idolatry as their highest goal. What I mean by that is the prosperity gospel is more concerned with their stuff, which is idolatry, than with Jesus Christ... Tell me how a prosperity preacher handles the text from Hebrews 10: 34 where it says, "You sympathized with those that were in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." They have to dismiss texts like these and many others to be comfortable with robbing the poor to build their empire.

But it would be easy to point fingers and scoff and not examine ourselves... would you be willing to lay down your goods and rights for the gospel? What do you hold in higher esteem than the gospel? Is it your car? your wardrobe? the acceptance of your parents? your status? your favorite sports team? fitting in at work or school? would you be willing to accept the confiscation of your property? would you be willing to be named Beelzebub with Christ?

John Calvin said it best when he said, "the human heart is a factory of idols... everyone of us is, from his mothers womb, expert in inventing idols." We are prone to idolatry of all sorts and kinds. Prosperity preachers are prone to their idolatry of goods and popularity. But what is your idol? What trumps the throne of grace in your heart? What do you value more than Christ? Now the key to overcoming that idol is to take it to the cross in repentance and let grace overcome you.

God, we are a wicked and stiff-necked people. We can even take good things like being compensated for ministry and turn it into evil. Our hearts are prone to lift up pithy and worthless things. We are experts in golden-calf making. We idolize everything under the son. So God break us of our wickedness and let our hearts lift you up today. You are supreme. Help us to count you as gain and everything else rubbish. Please God. Help us to not look down our noses at those whose errors are so prevalent, but help us to pray for them. And, help us to see our faults as equally wicked. Convict us and change us by Your grace. Amen.