Doesn't God want me to be happy?

Let's address a particularly influential and controversial belief system: the Prosperity Gospel. This teaching claims that if you have enough faith, God will reward you with health, wealth, and happiness in this life. It promotes ideas like "Name it and claim it," "Give to get," and promises a present-day inheritance of physical and financial blessings. At first glance, it sounds hopeful—even biblical—but when examined closely, we see that it distorts the true message of Jesus Christ.

The biblical Gospel teaches that our greatest need isn’t financial breakthrough or physical healing—it’s forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. The solution to our problem isn’t found in material prosperity, but in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Prosperity Gospel, however, shifts the focus away from Christ and onto our desires—making the good news about what we can get rather than who we can know.

You see, the Prosperity Gospel misrepresents God’s character. Scripture clearly teaches that God is sovereign—He is not a genie or vending machine who grants every wish we present in prayer. A good father doesn’t give his children everything they ask for, and our Heavenly Father is no different. His wisdom is far greater than our desires, and His will is always better than our short-term comfort or material gain.

Furthermore, the Prosperity Gospel confuses generosity with transaction. While the Bible encourages giving, it never presents giving as a formula to manipulate God’s blessings. In contrast, we are called to give generously to meet the needs of others—not to get richer ourselves. Jesus became poor for our sake, not to make us wealthy, but to empower us to live lives of sacrificial love and compassion.

Another significant flaw in Prosperity teaching is its lack of theology around suffering. Life is filled with trials, and Scripture is clear that suffering is not only expected, but often a vital part of following Jesus. From Job to Paul to Jesus Himself, we see faithful followers of God endure pain, poverty, and persecution. The Prosperity Gospel has no answer when real life hits—when a child gets cancer, a spouse loses a job, or a prayer for healing goes unanswered.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It’s knowing the difference between right and almost right.” The Prosperity Gospel may sound “almost right,” but it’s far from the true Gospel. Jesus never promised us an easy life — He promised us Himself. And that’s more than enough.

We invite you to remain anchored in the truth of God’s Word. Let’s pursue Jesus not for what He can give us, but because of who He is. Let’s worship Him as Savior and King—not as a means to material success. And let’s be people of compassion and courage, engaging a broken world with the eternal hope found only in Christ.

- Adapted from the sermon preached at WLCC on 6/29/25.