God is looking for those who will demonstrate His goodness because they understand His purpose for wealth. What hinders us from promoting the gospel more freely? Most likely our answer, like that of most believers, would be a lack of money.
Most Christians have a deep desire to help fund the preaching of the Gospel. They long to help ministries or join with churches through their financial partnership and their prayers. The problem has been that the wealth of this world has been under the control of people who are promoting everything but the message of Jesus.
Not long ago, it was reported that three individual men gave away a combined total of $41 billion and not one dollar went to proclaim God’s Word. Obviously, that’s not God’s plan.
God’s plan for wealth is that it be used for the promotion of His Kingdom—not for the promotion of another cause. He is moving in the hearts of the members of His family worldwide to take hold of wealth in order to demonstrate His goodness to those outside of His family.
Psalm 31:19 says this about God’s goodness: “Your goodness is so great! You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you. You have done so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world” (NLT).
Our increase and prosperity becomes a picture before a watching world. The world sees poverty on one side and greed and abuse on the other.
People are truly looking for those whose hearts are pure and whose motives can be trusted. You and I are intended to be the ones who receive and demonstrate God’s goodness before a watching world. Psalm 92:15 says, “There is nothing but goodness in him!” (TLB). Religion has painted a picture of a God who punishes the world with disaster and disease. But that is far from the truth.
Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the goodness of God that brings people to repentance, not tragedy or disaster. God is calling the world to repent and know Him. In order for that to happen, the Church must demonstrate the goodness of God in all levels of life. When we do, the watching world will stand up and take notice. They will begin to ask for prayer. They will come to church with us. They will give their lives to the Lord.
In what is considered the most famous psalm of the Bible, David penned, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV). Our lives are to be marked by the goodness and mercy of God.
