This is a gift of God

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19)
 
What is the purpose of your prosperity? God owns it all. He supplies it and searches for men and women to entrust this material world He owns. Unbelievers and many believers alike cut throats and cheat as they compete for their slice of the prosperity pie. But the hand of God pours out blessings without trouble on many of His children who have learned to trust Him and work hard. He desires to bless them to extend the kingdom of God in the temporary world we serve. He has no secret reason for blessing His own.
 
It is our job not to miss the purpose of the prosperity with which we have been blessed. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5 that our goal is to please God with these bodies and it is not pleasing to God when we ignore the mandate to extend the Kingdom with out prosperity. As a matter of fact God will take the blessing out of our prosperity. Solomon eludes to this in Eccl. 2:26 “to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God” God has indeed blessed all of us in America, yet we tend to error with our prosperity in the way we see it and put it to use.
 
We often error by
1) Taking credit for our prosperity (self made)
2) Showing ingratitude for our prosperity (don’t thank God for it)
3) Showing guilt for our prosperity (downplay God’s blessing as if ashamed to have)
4) Learning to show dependence on our prosperity rather than the provider of it. (A false security on things of worldview)
 
Let us not try to fall into these errors with our prosperity instead let us recognize God has blessed us so that we will bless His work and advance His kingdom in the world. It is not for you only so don’t use prosperity only to increase your lifestyle. Accumulating any more than what you need to provide for family, continually run a business or retire is accumulating to much. God has provided you with what you need to live in joy and He has also blessed you to bless others to His glory. Let us take account of all we have, give thanks, and use it wisely for both our own family needs but also to the furtherance of His Kingdom.
 
In His Service,
Eric Barnes