The Pitfalls of Prosperity & God Tests Before He Blesses

Let me tell you something that might surprise you: God wants you to prosper. But here's the catch, He needs to make sure prosperity doesn't destroy you.

Today, I want to talk about something we don't discuss enough in church: the pitfalls of prosperity. Because while it's God's will for you to succeed and prosper (3 John 2), we have to be mindful that if you're not careful, you'll allow your increase to become your God.

Remember Where You Came From

There's a story about Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman ruler, that gets me every time. While ruling Rome, Marcus Aurelius was so concerned he might let his power go to his head that every time a citizen bowed or called out a word of praise, he instructed a servant to whisper a reminder in his ear: "You are just a man. You are just a man."

Imagine that, every time someone gave you praise, you had a little person behind you saying, "Don't believe that."

Truth be told, sometimes we feel like we're better than we really are. People will talk to you and make you feel like you're special. They'll say things to get things from you. They'll give you praise and accolades. But you're never as good as they say, and you're never as bad as they say. You're somewhere in the middle.

Brothers and sisters, we have a tendency to forget where we came from. We have a tendency to forget who helped us along the way. I know you got your degree and a job and a 401(k) and all the other stuff, but don't forget God.

When Broke Was More Faithful Than Blessed

Here's something I've noticed: Some people are more faithful broke than they are with money.

When your money was funny, "Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! If you could just make a way, if you could make a way out of nowhere!"

And then all of a sudden: "Hey, I can't make it, man. I'm on my boat. The weekends are for boating."

(Just pray you don't have a Jonah situation.)

God will remind you. God has a way of reminding you where you came from.

God Tests Before He Promotes

Let's go to Deuteronomy 8 in The Message Bible. God tells the Israelites something powerful:

"Remember every road that God led you on for those 40 years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that He would know what you were made of, whether you would keep His commandments or not."

Could it be that God allowed you to go through some storms because He's preparing you for the next season? He wants to make sure that before He blesses you, He tests you. Because what I've learned is when God gives you too much, you forget about Him.

Need proof? Genesis. God gave Adam and Eve everything, every tree, everything they wanted, as much as they wanted. What did they do? They forgot about God and started listening to the devil.

We have a propensity to forget who saved us, who brought us up. When you were praying for the breakthrough, got the breakthrough, you didn't even say thank you yet. You're already on to the next thing: "Lord, I need..."

Don't Waste Your Season

Here's what I want to teach you today: Whatever season you're in, if it's a lean season, don't waste it.

Ask yourself: "Lord, what am I supposed to learn in this season?"

Ecclesiastes says there's a time and a season for everything under the sun. What happens is we waste seasons complaining about the season versus finding out the reason for the season. If you find the reason for your season, then you will get a harvest even in a bad season because you learned something that's going to set you up for your next season.

But if you don't learn from bad seasons, you repeat the cycle. What you do not learn, you will repeat.

No One Should Have That Much Power Over You

God says He made them go hungry, then He fed them with manna, something their parents knew nothing about, so they would learn that we don't live by bread only. We live by every word that comes from God's mouth.

Before God took them to the new season, He took them to a season of discipleship. When I look back, when my money was funny and my change was strange, God had to break me down. He had to humble me.

Charmaine and I went through bankruptcy, went through foreclosure, went through repossession. We moved back to Charmaine's parents' house. My point to you is: You will have seasons where you have to reset your life and not worry about people.

Sometimes you will stay in a season where you shouldn't have been that long because your pride won't let you humble yourself and go back for a season to set you up for your next season.

There are times in life where you've got to humble yourself and not get caught up in what other people think about you. It's just a season.

The Storm Is Coming at You Because Breakthrough Is Coming

The Bible says there's a great and effectual door opened unto us, but there are many adversaries. On the verge of your breakthrough, it seems like all hell is coming at you. But when it's coming at you, don't turn back. Go through your storm. The storm is going to pass.

I see it all the time on I-4, it's storming, and people pull off to the side of the road and sit there. No! I'm going through the storm. I'm going to slow down, but we're going to get through the storm.

You need to get up and move forward.

God's Benefit Package

Now listen to what God promises after the test:

"God is about to bring you into a good land. A land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes streaming out of the hills and valleys. A land with wheat and barley, vines and figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey. A land where you will never go hungry, always food on the table and a roof over your head."

This is God's benefit package. But notice, God gives you the benefit package BEFORE you get the job. He shows you what's coming IF you listen.

Here's the warning: "After a meal, satisfied, bless God your God for the good land He has given you. Make sure you don't forget."

Because God says: "I took you through some things. Now I'm about to bless you. But if you don't listen, I'll take it back."

Say to your neighbor: "I don't want to go back there."

Say to your neighbor: "Broke don't taste good."

When Your Water Got Cut Off

If you've lived long enough, you've had seasons where your money was funny and your change was strange. In that tight spot, you made some rules.

I wrote them down: "Cousins Family Rules, we're never going to be here again."

I saw the water man come to my office, pull the thing up, and cut my water off. I started saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Homeboy! Let's talk! Let's pray!"

Some of y'all never had this conversation when the person actually comes to your house and cuts the water off in your face. I had to go to my mother's house to take a bath.

It was a season. And in that season, we decided there are certain things we don't have to have, so we'll never be here again.

Nothing is more humbling as a man than not being able to pay a bill. I said, "Okay, Lord. I receive. I'll never be here again." Never.

So then I started stacking. "Emergency fund? Oh, we need that." Because emergencies are going to happen.

What You Cannot Maintain, You Cannot Retain

Here's the truth: What you cannot maintain, you cannot retain. Money flees a bad manager.

Do you know people in your family who get a refund check every year, and within two weeks, they're broke. "We rich, girl!" And then: "I'll pay you back when I get my..."

When you go to get your money, they've got rims and a big screen.

God says, "Before I prosper you, I've got to make sure you can handle what I'm about to give you. Because if not, you'll lose it again."

Don't Become Full of Yourself

Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant homes and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish, more and more money comes in, watch your standard of living go up and up. Make sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things.

See, before you had nothing. Now you got too many things. You don't have time because you've got too much.

Keep your priorities right: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you.

God doesn't care about the "all others" as long as God is first.

God Gave You the Power to Get Wealth

If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. All by myself. My power made me rich. It's all me" - STOP.

Remember that God your God gave you the strength to produce all this, so that He could confirm His covenant. He gave you the power to get this so that you could do Kingdom work.

And you thought it was about you?

I see it happen over and over. A brother came and said, "Pastor, I got my promotion. I went from $100K to $250K."

I said, "Praise God! Well, you should have plenty of time now to serve, right?"

Silence.

You went up $150K and you can't find time? I said, "Don't worry. It won't be there long."

Because God will test you to see if He can take you to that level. And it's not a secret, the Bible tells you: As you give, so shall it come.

Instructions for the Rich

First Timothy 6:17 says: "As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on uncertain riches, but on God, who richly and unceasingly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."

God has no problem with you having stuff. He didn't say it was a sin. He just says when you have it, don't forget Him.

You can have as much as you want, as much as you desire. But you cannot forget God.

Verse 18 gives us the instructions: "Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share with others."

If you have it, God expects you to do something with it. If you're rich in this world, you should be rich in good works.

You're Not Taking Anything With You

Solomon said this in Ecclesiastes (and it's funny but real): There was a man who saved up all his money, and the Bible says his children squandered it all.

You could save all your money and give it to some raggedy children, and they will blow every single dollar. And you thought you were trying to help somebody.

I'm not saying don't have a legacy. I'm not saying don't bless your children. My point is: While you live, give.

Because if you think your kids are going to do it... have a legacy of helping people along the way.

The Message Bible puts it this way: "Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage. Tell them to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous."

If they do that, they'll build a treasure that will last and gain life that is truly life.

Set Up Your Memorial

I thought about what Jesus says when we take communion: "As often as you do this, remember Me."

Why does He keep saying "remember"?

In Joshua 4, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God told Joshua: "I want you to get 12 stones, one from each tribe, from the middle of what was wet. Set up a memorial so that every time your children see it, they will ask, 'Mommy, Daddy, what was that for?'"

And you'll tell them: "There was a time when we were in slavery, and God brought us over this river. It was full of water, but God dried it up. Me and your mama and grandmama and granddaddy. We crossed on dry land. God told us to set up a memorial so that every time someone sees it and asks why you set this up, I can remember what God has done for me."

Sometimes in your life, you've got to set up some memorials:

• I remember when God brought me out of the car accident
• I remember when God brought me out of divorce
• I remember when God healed my body
• I remember when God paid my bills

The challenge in our faith walk is we forget what God has done. God has brought you too far to forget now.

Encourage Yourself in the Lord

Have you set up your memorial? Have you set up a list of things where, if it was not for God, you wouldn't have made it?

Every time you get discouraged, every time you have a doctor's report that doesn't look good, every time you have a situation trying to get you down, you can look back and say:

"I remember when I was in a car accident and they had to cut me out of the car. They said they didn't know how I made it. Well, you may not know how I made it, but I know who was on my side. God was on my side."

What you do is encourage yourself in the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, set up a memorial and say, "God, if it had not been for Jesus on my side, where would I be?"

Truth be told, we allow ourselves to get so discouraged when we're going through a storm, and we forget that He is the same God yesterday, today, and forevermore. If God did it then, God can do it now.

This Too Shall Pass

Some of you are right in a storm right now. I want you to know:

This too shall pass. This too shall pass.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."

This too shall pass. My latter shall be greater. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Don't forget where God brought you from. Don't forget what He brought you out of. Remember the sacrifice. Remember the blood. Thank God for another chance.

Change begins with you. If you want something different, do something different.

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