Live long and prosper

Sorry folks, this one’s not about Mr. Spock. God spoke it first in Jeremiah 29:11 when He said:

“For I know the plans I have for you ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

I have always equated prosperity with financial wealth and well-being. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines “prosper” as:

“To cause to succeed; to succeed in an enterprise or activity, esp: to achieve economic success; to become strong and flourishing.”

The inference is that prosperity indicates financial or economic success, so it’s no surprise that’s the association I’ve always made with prosperity. But I believe that God would measure prosperity differently. I was checking out my bank account the other day and was distressing about the rather low numbers, and praying for relief and for prosperity to rain down on me. I realized that I measure prosperity by what is in the bank account. But as I thought about it more, God’s measuring stick has always been about the heart. I do believe He is our Provider and cares for our physical needs (including whether or not I can pay the bills), but I believe He is most interested in the state of my heart.

I like the part of the above definition that says being prosperous is to be “strong and flourishing”. Re-read the verse from Jeremiah with those words: “For I know the plans I have for you ... plans for you to be strong and flourishing ...”

I can be strong and flourishing without a hefty bank account. I can be strong and flourishing as I love my kids and my husband and as I try and love those around me.

Live long, strong and flourish.