The Blessings of God

Life has been good for me this past couple of years. We own an investment property we're renting out, which we bought with money we inherited from a rich aunt. In the midst of global financial struggles, the company I work for is doing really well. We really don't lack anything. But recently we decided to redevelop that rental property, and in the last two weeks the tenant has moved out and the building has been demolished. So we're now without rental income, and we're about to start forking out to builders and so forth. We expected it to be a time of financial struggle for this family. But a few days ago the kindergarten my son attends asked my wife if she'd like to do some work there. She did her first day today and it sounds like there will be somewhat regular demand for her; they were most impressed with her skills and experience (she worked in child care for nearly ten years.) So I want to thank God, first of all, for taking care of this family.

This blog is intended to show you the world through a Christian's eyes, and in recognizing the way in which God has blessed us today, and thanking Him for it, I'm hopefully doing just that. But what of this "prosperity gospel" that some speak about? It's the idea that being a Christian should mean that you will always have everything going for you. In the extreme sense, it says that God will see to it that you won't ever struggle financially, you won't ever get sick, and so on and so forth. And if you do, it's for lack of faith on your part. But this is not the right way to see the world, Biblically.

Today I am thankful to God, and this work that has been offered to my wife is a wonderful surprise for us. But our expectation, as I said before, was that we would be facing a financial struggle. Of course, it was never going to be all that bad, relatively speaking. We're not living in a third world country, or even on the poor end of the spectrum in our own city. The worst it will ever get for us will probably still appear ludicrously wealthy to many people in this world. Why are we so fortunate? Is it because of our faith? No; many of our non-Christian neighbours are more wealthy than we are. God has blessed them just the same. But do they recognize that and give thanks for what God has given them? That would be an exercise of faith. So it's not your faith that brings wealth, but faith exists independently of wealth. We exercise faith when we acknowledge the blessings of God, and are content no matter what situation we're in.

So when things aren't going well, how do we explain it? It's not a lack of faith on our part. Is it that God is mad at us for having done something wrong, perhaps? No, in many ways it can be a privilege to suffer, because the excise of faith through suffering is an amazing witness to the world; and bearing witness of Christ is every Christian's joy. For people to say "Look, despite all they've been through they're still as faithful to God as they ever were!", is a powerful testimony. As one man said, after his wife had been through chemotherapy for cancer, what strengthened him was the realization just how much of a privilege the ordeal was, as though God were saying "I'd put this burden on someone else, but not many could handle it like you can!" He was all the more determined to conspicuously show the world his steadfastness in faith as he and his wife were going through this trial.

The attitude of Christianity is not "always look on the bright side of life", as though whatever situation you're in is a blessing if you could only see it that way. Suffering cancer, or going through the ordeal of your husband or wife going through cancer, is not a blessing. There may be blessings incidental to it, but the suffering is not a blessing. We wait for a world in which there is no suffering. But as it is now, suffering is a fact of life. And as I have said, faith is independent of your situation. We exercise faith toward God in all situations; for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till in the resurrection we are united.

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13)