The Cruelty of the Prosperity Gospel

Facebook Moderation

Many years ago, I served as a moderator for a Christian Facebook group that has over 20,000 members. What a privilege and a responsibility! Sometimes, the work was relatively easy—approving (or not) those who were requesting to join the group. Sometimes, it was heart-rending. People with good intentions wanted to post items that were clearly unbiblical—presumably because they didn’t know any better.

A Challenge

Once, I had to decide whether to allow a post where the author clearly wanted to encourage his readers. This dear brother had the best of intentions. Using the book of Esther as his text, he asserted that the difficulties in our lives could be compared to the issues that the Jewish people faced when Haman incited the King against them.

He pointed out that Mordecai gained the victory, and the Jews were set free from their death sentence. And then, he encouraged the readers to “claim the victory of Mordecai over Haman” in their lives, setting them free from all bondage to sickness, sadness, and any other problem they might have. They were to “decree their healing and it would be established.”

This sounds great—at first.

After all, the man was referring to a Bible passage, and it sounds encouraging. If we have any problems, we tell them to go away in Jesus’ name, and they will! Didn’t Jesus win the victory on the cross? Doesn’t Jesus say that, if we abide in Him, we can ask for anything in His name, and He will do it? I’ve heard people speak against tornadoes, call forth their healing, declare victory over addictions, and much more. It’s called the Prosperity Gospel.

Prosperity Gospel teaching is unkind, unbiblical, and ineffective.

It’s unkind.

What happens if the cancer, diabetes, or other illness is not healed? Even those who subscribe to the Prosperity Gospel will die eventually. What happens if your heart still hurts? God didn’t create us to be emotionless automatons, and we may have something to learn.

What happens if your business fails or you get fired? My own husband was “defrocked” for standing for biblical principles, and I lost my job for encouraging students to think outside the box. Those blows have had lasting repercussions in our lives.

Based on the Prosperity Gospel, there are only two possibilities: either those who suffer in this way don’t have enough faith, or there is unconfessed sin in their lives (or the lives of their ancestors) that’s blocking God’s blessing in their lives. Wow! Feeling condemned anyone?

It’s unbiblical.

Those who espouse the Prosperity Gospel take verses or passages out of context and twist them to mean that, essentially, we can manipulate God to do our will. But let’s not forget that He is God! He knows what is best for us and for the world much better than we do.

The Lord thought it best that John the Baptist lost his head. Evidently, He thought it best for Jeremiah to suffer with depression and for Hosea to have an unfaithful wife. He thought it best that the Messiah would be homeless and eventually be killed. And…He was right!

Specifics

Let’s look at some of the more confusing passages. How about the one spoken of above: ask anything and it will be done. Read the context in John 15. Jesus tells us to abide in Him, so that our wills become aligned with His. Then, it follows that we will ask for His will to be done, as in the Lord’s prayer. He never tells us that we will have power over God, that we can demand He do what we want, or that we will never suffer.

To those of us who are parents, it’s counterintuitive that a loving God would allow us to suffer—we would do anything to protect our children from pain. But, we can’t. Babies even cry piteously when they have to burp! Jesus, on the other hand, won the victory, so He can easily heal all our diseases, provide all our needs, and give us a Rolls-Royce. Then, why doesn’t He?

Facts and Speculation

We can speculate. Maybe we learn best by trying things ourselves and failing. Maybe we grow closer to God when we suffer. But, actually, we don’t know the ‘why’—because we’re not God. What we do know is that Jesus categorically tells us, again and again, that we will suffer. He also says He will be with us, and we can trust Him. Even though the journey is challenging, the arrival is guaranteed.

Are there instances in Scripture where people are healed? Yes. Are there incidents where God provides? Yes. But we must read the Bible as a whole. St. Paul, who arguably had great faith and probably greater knowledge of Scripture than most of us, tells us of a thorn in his flesh that God didn’t heal (2 Cor 12:7-10). He talks about having plenty and going without (Phil 4:11-13) and even rejoiced in his sufferings (Heb 10:13). Paul didn’t enjoy health and wealth. We might not either.

Ineffective

Finally, does Prosperity Gospel work? There are times when the Lord does graciously heal in response to humble prayer—I’ve seen this happen on many occasions. Sometimes, He heals a particular memory—I’ve experienced this personally, too. And, at times, He miraculously provides. I remember when my husband was training for the ministry, I was pregnant with our second child, and the doctor told us I should not walk more than a ¼ mile. The Lord provided us with a car that functioned until our son was born. Then it was condemned by a mechanic.

None of our answers to prayer were “called forth” or even named and claimed.

I don’t know if the Lord would have responded to such behavior (He is very merciful). But I do know that I’m very uncomfortable about the idea of demanding those things that I think are best for me. Because, in the end, I’m God’s child, He loves me, and He knows what is best for me better than I do—even if it hurts.

Are you wondering about the Facebook post? I didn’t approve it. Because prosperity gospel is unkind to those who have difficulties in their lives, unbiblical, and ineffective in helping us to develop into the humble and faithful people God wants us to be. Knowing and applying the Bible is vital.