Materialism and Prosperity: Blessing or Curse?
1. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God is obligated to materially and financially bless all those who follow Him. If this was true, then all the Mennonites of Belize would be financially wealthy. The Beachy, Old Order, Holdeman, Conservative, etc. Not only the Mennonites but also the Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witness, Nazarenes, Methodists and so on because in one way or another they are all following God and practicing Biblical standards.
2. In the Old Testament, the people of God had a real country with geographical definitions and political boundaries. It also had a physical governing body and civil laws. Under the Old Covenant, God indeed promised material blessings to some. Increase of cattle, extra farm land, prosperous trades, etc. For example Abraham and Jacob.But after the crucifixion of Jesus, things changed. The people of God were those who identified with Christ, made up of different countries, tribes, languages and cultures. God promised spiritual persecution: torture, rejection, death by the persecutors, stoning. In exchange for enduring these, the Lord promised spiritual blessings: joy, peace, contentment, courage, eternal life.
3. To attribute the prosperity of Spanish Lookout to God would be to imply that He has forgotten about other Christians in the country. There are many humble, hard-working servants of Jesus in Belize who live in simple clapboard houses, live day by day, do not own a vehicle, use wood fires to cook, and struggle along with health issues since they cannot afford constant medical attention. They are passionate about following the Bible and have been worshiping God for decades yet they have never enjoyed economic success.
4. The apostles and other famous Christians such as St. Francis of Xavier, Bunyan, Tozer, Spurgeon and others never advocated financial wealth as a sign of God's favor. Neither do the Beachy, Conservative and Holdeman Mennonites.
5. According to some preachers, prosperity is a gift, not a blessing, from God and being financially rich is not a sin. The sin is in idolizing your riches until it cools off your relationship with Jesus. In a lot of churches in Spanish Lookout, you will rarely hear sermons about the dangers of financial wealth.
6. There are some who do not like the materialism they see in the community. As a result, they have left SL, or they have left the churches but stayed in the community, or they attend churches outside of SL.
7. Based on personal observation, the ones who are the most prone to declare that Spanish Lookout has been greatly blessed by God are usually those from non-traditional, non-conservative churches who have been influenced by popular evangelists like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen.
8. History proves that any culture, village or country can become economically prosperous and financially well-to-do when they work hard, are united in following upright moral standards, and practice the right work ethics whether or not they are Christians.
9. If the prosperity of Spanish Lookout is a blessing from God, then why has God been so unequal? There are villages very close to SL that resemble the shanty towns of India and Africa.
10. Not too long ago a pastor from another area came and preached at a church in Spanish Lookout. After he left there were comments and murmurings that his sermon was "too strong". It doesn't look like that preacher will ever be invited there again.
11. On a practical side, I am extremely grateful for what Spanish Lookout has done for the country. The products, job opportunities, influence and economical boost. Whole generations of Mestizo workers have improved their lifestyles and housings by working in this community. The public services such as ambulance, fire truck and clinic have been of great value to the villages surrounding Spanish Lookout.
