The Paradox of Prosperity

In the US especially, there is a common belief that "the more you have the happier you will be."  Makes sense right? Does the squirrel with the most nuts win?

When Cathy and I first got married we lived in a little apartment in Manchester, NH.  When I say small - I mean small, small.  I guess a Realtor might call it cozy, actually we did too.  We were just starting our lives together and we felt like we had it all.

Back in those days we had two used cars - not much else.  Life was simple, life was good.  There wasn't the responsibility to maintain much because we didn't have much.  We were happy with what we had and we made the most out of every weekend together.  Life was simple.

"Young" Jeff & Cathy

At some point, like most young newly married couples, we began to think about the house with the white picket fence, the dog in the front yard and of course kids.  Eventually we found our first house and the Lord blessed us with McKenzie.  It wasn't soon thereafter that we started to realize that the carefree days were over.

It seemed like in the most inopportune moments the water heater would break down, the car needed repair or Kuma (our dog) needed surgery again.  Of course we also felt that we needed to have the best lawn in the neighborhood.  We needed to travel, dine-out, spend weekends away and on and on.  Life was becoming less simple.  I could feel the treadmill of life beginning to move faster - a lot faster.  We were making more money and spending it.  Then two more little blessings came along and we were now a family of five and of course we had to get a new house right?  Of course a bigger car, no SUV.  At this stage you're thinking life insurance, saving for retirement, saving for college...it goes on and on.  The treadmill started moving even faster.  As you read this, I can see the smirk on your face.  Life was becoming more complicated.  

What I am describing is the "Paradox of Prosperity."  It's the illusion that by simply having more - life will be better.  

I've seen it as financial advisor to the folks that "had it all" and I could plainly see their stress, discontent and sometimes sadness.  It used to confuse me, that is until I started to feel it myself.  Having more, maintaining more, managing more can result in a complicated and often stressful life.  When you have little, but enough, life is simple.
Where did we get this wrong, when did I get this wrong?  I know that I never seem to be more at peace than when I'm in a simple fishing cabin in the middle of nowhere with just the basic necessities.  God's gifts are plenty, plain to see and enjoy.  I find myself overwhelmed with joy.  Life is simple.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:12-13:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

The apostle Paul knew it - you can be contented with little.  What is being contented exactly?  The Webster's dictionary defines it as: feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions.  Notice that it doesn't say endless or an abundance of possessions.  It doesn't say a boat, corvette or a second home.

Could it be that living more simply may lead to a simpler life?  Henry David Thoreau, although an extreme example, became a national treasure by living such a life on Walden Pond.  The goal should be for us to find out just how much is enough.  This is especially important for those blessed with much.  This is also key for having enough in the long term.  So how do we get there?



If you don't have it - don't spend it.  If you don't need it - think twice before getting it. The funny thing is, is that at some level we all know this.  For some, we just got caught-up in the race.

When we strive to learn "how much is enough" we often find that we have some left over.  Your abundance could be the answer to another person's prayers.  In fact, many people choose to live on less just so they can give more.  Giving brings you abounding joy.  When you let go and give - there is such freedom!  And when you give, there is the joy that you helped another.  Jesus talked about nothing more than this.

In my years of counseling clients on financial decision-making, I have found that, no matter the income level, people struggle with fear, frustration, and guilt in their financial lives. In my experience, those who are most free from those emotional by-products of financial decision-making are those who are the most generous. Why? Why are generosity and financial freedom so tied together?

I believe that the reason financial freedom and generosity are linked has to do with what Randy Alcorn calls “The Treasure Principle” in his book by that same name. Matthew 6:21 says simply, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” God wants our hearts, not our money. He wants us to know and to absorb the fact that He owns it all. God – the all powerful, all knowing, and all loving God – owns every resource, including those entrusted to our care. When you and I give, we open our hand. We loosen our grip on the resources He’s given us. We acknowledge His purposes as higher than our own and His provision as more complete than our own. When we give, we put our treasure into His kingdom and we free our heart from the constraints of our own “mini-kingdom.”

Giving changes our perspective. It orients our thinking toward God’s ownership, control, and purposes. It frees us from believing that we are ultimately responsible for our financial well-being. It reminds us of the bigger context of our world and our place within it. It expresses that we trust that God’s economy is the real economy.

Yes, giving is so important because Jesus tells us to look after the needs of others in the world who are hurting. That is why giving is important to the needy. The reason giving is important to those of us who are full, warm, and safe is because it changes our perspective. It opens our hand. It brings us closer to the heart of God.

Find out How Much is Enough, Give joyfully,

enjoy the blessings...