Preserve me from the intoxication that comes of prosperity; sober me when I am glad with a joy that comes not from thee. Lead me safely on to the eternal kingdom, not asking whether the road be rough or smooth.
I request only to see the face of him I love, to be content with bread to eat, with raiment to put on, if I can be brought to thy house in peace.
I know the intoxication that comes of prosperity, I have experienced it and observed it in others. I know that it can be overt or subtle – and I am thankful that in our Father’s mercy He provides us with experiences to sober us. It is sad that the church imbibes in an ethos of prosperity. I’m not talking about the obvious “prosperity preachers”, I’m talking about the church as a whole. Rich and poor are generally treated differently in the church, our worldly positions do matter in most church environments. Saying, “That is just the way people are,” isn’t good enough because we are not just people, we are the Church, the Body,of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps “prosperity preachers” offend us because they make public what we practice with decorum? Perhaps their offense isn’t really the message, perhaps it’s the medium?
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