"Follow Jesus, and you'll be healthy and wealthy."
Odd I can't seem to find this saying in the Bible, although many pastors and churches are obsessed with it. I do read multiple passages where Jesus had many followers who gave and attended to His needs on earth. He roamed this earth, not owning a home, never married and was persecuted.
Many followers lost material possessions due to their following the Lord. They openly proclaimed it, and didn't let the beatings or death threats stop them. We have more freedoms, but sadly are more silent at the first sign of disagreement from another person.
I would be wary of preachers who get you to focus on this earth as your best life. That keep you looking because your not content with what you have. Be wary of those who do not long for the earth to come and fail to be rich toward God. The only thing that will go with you to eternity and the New Earth if you know Jesus as Lord, is that relationship you have with the Lord, and those other people who believed the Gospel as you did. Be passionate about what God is, and do not cling tightly to what is given.
Trust God will provide your daily needs. He showed us many times in the Old Testament where the Israelites were to take no more than they needed , or to share abundance with others.
Matthew 6:19- 34 says
19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one 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 can’t serve both God and Mammon. 25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
27 “Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment§ to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
Both God and Jesus reminded His people that the poor will always be among us.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, which he lacks. 9 Beware that there not be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, “The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,” and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. 10 You shall surely give, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because it is for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hand to. 11 For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
The early Church shared what they had with others.
Acts 2: 38-47
38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43 Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46 Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
What if whatever gifts and blessings we are given, are not meant for us to hoard as if God will not provide more as needed. What if we are to recieve with open hands not so we can close our fists tightly, but ask the Lord, if you have this gift to be a blessing to another: the hands and feet of Jesus, in a physical way.
I am not saying don't take care of your needs or your family, nor am I saying to let people take your generosity for granted. What I am saying is, do you ever think about what you've been given? Does the Lord's opinion about what you should do with that money matter to you? Do you consider that it may have been resources to further His Kingdom that was given to you? How do you steward what has been given? Do you see the opportunity given, to join the King in His Kingdom Work?
Or have the preachers and teachers convinced you that God's a genie and that you aren't praying hard enough to avoid the trials and tribulations that we were warned about?
Jesus did not stutter or mispeak when He warned us, that His People would be hated by the World. How can we dare claim we are being persecuted in the World , if we are silent on Gospel and eternal matters?
Freedoms are disappearing, Truth no longer spoken as much, because Christ Followers are waiting by the window for Christ's return, rather than seeing this life as a battleground, a war for souls in the balance of eternity. What will profit if you are wealthy , healthy, and prosperous if you hoard it all, losing your soul in eternity, because those same teachers and preachers told you that Jesus is okay with sin, and doesn't require you to repent and change your ways?
Our God does not change with the majority, the culture, or the times of the current generation. What stands now written in the Bible will be until all is fulfilled in God's time.
Luke 12:15-21 Jesus says this:
He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. 17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ 18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. 14 If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
Always give and receive with open hands, and seek the Lord in how He would have you to be obedient with what He gives.