Scripture speaks about what it means to be prosperous, but it is different from how it is defined in society today:
Your health may be deteriorating, but your faith is growing—you are prospering.
Your net worth is on a downward trend, but you desire to partner with God in all your financial pursuits—you are prospering.
You make unpopular choices that reduce your social capital but pray for and receive the Holy Spirit’s counsel in making decisions—you are prospering.
Your work does not advance your self-interest but accomplishes good for others—you are prospering.
Your biological family does not support you in your Christian lifestyle, but your church family rejoices in your fellowship with them—you are prospering.
You learn to be content with less, rather than believing that your happiness depends on acquiring more material goods—you are prospering.
Your name is never on the list of rich and famous on this earth but is frequently repeated in the halls of heaven—you are prospering.
Just as the scattering of seed does not reveal future success, because the early growth is below ground out of sight of the sower, so it is with God’s work. We may not live to see the prosperous results of our partnership with God, but that does not mean it is not happening. We must trust that God keeps His promise to prosper the work done in His name, its future success is in His hands. Certainly, the ultimate success of Christ’s work on the cross was not evident at the moment of His death, but time is revealing the full measure of it.
God is guaranteeing that those who follow His guidance through life will prosper in producing fruit that will last (John 15:16), no matter what adversity we face, and whether we see these fruitful results in our lifetime.
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
God opened my eyes to see and seize the opportunities He provided to encourage and pray with and for my fellow patients and nurses in infusion suites, radiation treatment waiting rooms, and families of patients in pre-surgery prep areas. I also felt like God was prospering my efforts, no matter how feeble they might be, because that was part of His plan to help me shine a light in the darkness of shared suffering.
