I grew up in a church culture that taught prosperity theology, which, to summarize, suggests that doing the right thing will bring financial gain. The theology never sat well with me, in part because I read Old Testament stories that seemed to contradict the concept.
The story of Joseph always fascinated me. Here was a man who was nearly killed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, and unjustly imprisoned before interpreting a dream and being elevated to the second highest position in Egypt. Joseph did the right thing by taking excellent care of Potiphar's house, resisting the aggressive advances of Potiphar's wife, and, as far as Scripture tells, never turning away from God. Yet at every turn, just as it seemed things were improving, Joseph seems to be punished for doing the right thing.
In the end, Joseph even forgave the brothers that sold him into slavery. Through all that he endured, Joseph did not surrender to hate. I look at the story of Joseph and I am amazed. I sincerely doubt I would have the strength to forgive brothers that sold me into slavery and set into motion a series of terrible events that, while they ended well for Joseph, his family, and Israel, must have been terrible to endure.
But then I consider the two verses above and Joseph's strength makes a little more sense. "The Lord was with Joseph," both on the upswing, when he was achieving success, and at the lowest point, as he sat in a jail cell for a crime he didn't commit. Joseph was not depending on his own strength; the Lord was with him. Even when sitting in a prison cell, Joseph was confident in the Lord's love for him. What great faith!
It's easy to feel God is smiling down upon us when we are prospering. But our prosperity is not proof of God's favor, nor is our lack (or, in Joseph's case, even imprisonment) a sign of God's displeasure. We are not capable of words or actions that can force God to bless us. Right living does have positive and practical consequences, but there's no guarantee that doing the right thing will bring us material wealth.
We are called to serve the Lord out of a love for him, not because we want something out of Him--whether it be material wealth, health, peace, security, or self-improvement. The call to serve God even when all around us looks bleak is a difficult one. Those ensnared by prosperity theology will face confusion and doubt when they live according to God's Word and the world, as a corrupt world will do whether in Joseph's time or the present, punishes them for it.
If things are going well for you right now, enjoy this season of your life and thank God for it. Keep your heart in check every day and ensure you're serving Him for the right reasons.
If things are going poorly for you, read these verses and have hope. Even in prison, the Lord was with Joseph. Even if your circumstances are unfavorable, it doesn't mean God has turned away from you. Be sure you do not turn away from Him.
Regardless of your circumstances, draw near to Him. Even if things are going well now, no season of life lasts forever. Strengthen yourself for when trials come. If the trial is now, take solace in knowing that God has not abandoned you.
NOTE: I didn't mean for this post to grow as long as it did. My future Verse of the Day posts will likely be considerably shorter.
