Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.                                                                                                                  

                                                                                             Proverbs 16:3 

Today: Read Proverbs 16

Why is it that the Christian life and earthly success are sometimes set in contrast to each other? For some, earthly success is treated as something to avoid while others view faith as a means for acquiring material wealth. I believe that both views are inconsistent with scripture and misguided. The Bible is not silent on the topic of earthly success, defining it as a reality for believers while warning us against losing sight of the One who owns it all. We would do well to strike a balance between these two views, operating within the parameters that the scripture sets for us.

First, we need to always remember that it is God who gives us gifts, talents, and the opportunity to work and acquire wealth. Consider the following words to Israel under the old covenant:

But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

                                                                                                Deuteronomy 8:18 

While in the wilderness, God provided manna for the people of Israel as a way of demonstrating His goodness but it also acted as a lesson for the people to depend on Him. Anytime we have the prospect of making money (legally and morally), it is God who is providing those opportunities. We should always keep in mind the truth that we own nothing in this life rather it all belongs to God. Give Him thanks for the ability that He gives for us to prosper in our ways.

Secondly, with that being said, there is a biblical basis of understanding that as we commit our ways to God, we will see prosperity and success. Consider the Psalm: 

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

                                                                                                            Psalm 1:1-3

Whoever delights in the Lord and His ways is blessed and the Psalmist declares that whatever that individual does, he will prosper. Again, the key is in the attitude and lifestyle of delighting in God. Someone who finds their greatest satisfaction in God will not pursue things that would act as barriers to that relationship. Because of this person’s loyalty to the Almighty, He can afford to grant them prosperity. Consider the same concept described in David’s Psalm:

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.

                                                                                                     Psalm 37:4-5 

Again, the person described in this Psalm is someone who delights in God and commits everything they do to Him. The promise remains the same, God will give this person the desires of their heart and He will show them success in what they have committed to Him. Our passage today affirms the same truth: “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”

Lastly, in light of all of these promises in scripture, we need to understand that, as believers, our desires, plans, and objectives should always be rooted and grounded in the pursuit of eternal things and that includes the use of our wealth. Consider Jesus’ approach to this truth: 

He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

                                                                                                   Luke 16:10-13 

Jesus is making the point that being entrusted with true, spiritual riches requires us being faithful with the things that we have been given on earth. But it would also be impossible for God to entrust us with earthly wealth if we are not completely committed to following Jesus. Material wealth without loyalty to Christ would only serve to destroy our lives and separate us from the One who gave Himself for us. This reality can be summed up in Jesus’ statement, “You cannot serve God and wealth.”

This was the problem of the Pharisees. These religious men are described as “lovers of money.” They responded to Jesus’ teaching regarding earthly wealth and success by scoffing at Him. Here is Jesus reply: 

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

                                                                                                   Luke 16:14-15 

They were seeking the approval of men rather than that of God. Jesus identified this behavior as “detestable in the sight of God.”

So we have a decision to make when considering the pursuit of earthly wealth. Are we making material things the focus and priority of our lives or are we entrusting everything we do to the One who deserves our loyalty? We cannot expect God to prosper us if we are making earthly wealth an idol. However, for the one who delights in the Savior and commits his/her way to Him, that individual can expect to enjoy prosperity and success. Have you committed your ways to the Lord?