C.H. Spurgeon on "The Danger of Prosperity"

Charles Haddon Spurgeon
'Prince of Preachers'

Material prosperity, though it is a gift of God, His gracious providence for us, can be a threat to our relationship with God if we’re not careful with our desire for it – to have it, to earn it, to keep it and to idolize it for ourselves. It can be a great blessing; but it also can be a great curse. It can be use to enrich our relationship with God through generous distributions and wise usages; but it also can be the main hindrance of our relationship with God. I fear that the later is where most of us are incline to be and/or going to be. Below is a quote from C.H. Spurgeon (1834 – 1892), my most beloved hero of faith, about the danger of prosperity. His words are a good reminder for us, who, are living in the world where meaning, value and identity of a person is define by one’s success in accumulating material prosperity. He started his godly argument by reminding us how we were used to be when we first know God – so fired up in the things of God – but later come to a lukewarm state of spirituality after we had gain and blinded by many of the world’s good things. For such persons, he warned them:

“Did not some of you, at one time, the moment you awoke in the morning, begin communing with God? Were there not red-letter days, when, from morning light to evening shade, you were in fellowship with the Most High? You had your burdens, but you always carried them to Jesus; and you had your joys, but you always shared them with Him. You lived for Him; your heart was warm towards Him; you walked with Him in constant communion, but, now, can you really live without even thinking of Him? Can you be happy without thinking of your God? Have you a better house than you used to have, and more money, more friends, and more of this world’s good things; and now you forget your God, and go the whole livelong day without any communication between soul and Him? Ah, then, you have indeed gone down in the world, and up; you are getting poorer and poorer; God help you! If you had come to me, and told me that you had lost everything, but that you loved Jesus better, I should have sympathized with you because of your trouble, but I should have congratulated you upon your grace. But now that you have got on so well in the world that you do not love your Lord as you once did, I can only pity you because of your dreadful prosperity, and mourn over the fearful loss, which you have experienced”

[Quote from ‘Spurgeon Gold: Pure. Refined’ by Ray Comfort. 2005, by Bridge-Logos. Pg. 53-54.]

Therefore, repent! God save you from this downfall and danger of prosperity!

Either you’re rich or not – whatever,
I urge you as a fellow follower of Christ and pray
that you will always be rich in the Lord Jesus Christ [and to me also]. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.