What Jesus’ Work Teaches Us About True Prosperity

The Prosperity Gospel teaches that material wealth signifies God's favor. We know God blesses us in all ways. But prosperity preaching emphasizes wealth building just for ourselves, not for our collective prosperity. This narrative harms our people. 

Proverbs 3:9–10: "Honor the Lord from your wealth and the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats overflow with new wine" is a proverb used by prosperity preachers, who often urge members to tithe at least 10% of their income with the promise of financial blessings from God. 

But capitalism doesn't play fair. Our community has been systematically economically disadvantaged for generations. There's another way to think about prosperity. 

Our churches were once the cornerstones of the community, strong pillars that stood in solidarity with the people against fighting the racist systems targeting us. Folks worked collectively to meet the community's needs, from organizing against policing to preparing hot meals. 

Black theology reminds us of the importance of taking participatory action alongside God to determine our own futures. We should follow Jesus' example as a liberator by serving the people and destroying the systems that create and reproduce oppression. 

We know that God is on our side. We won't reach the liberated lives we deserve by upholding the systems designed to oppress us. Our prosperity has always been about all of us.