WHAT PREVENTS A PERSON FROM PROSPERING ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE – Josimar Salum
The Bible presents several factors that can prevent a person’s prosperity, especially a man’s, in every aspect of his life.
1. Laziness and Lack of Diligence
• Proverbs 10:4 – “He who works with a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
• Proverbs 6:10-11 – “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.”
→ The Bible teaches that laziness and lack of effort lead to poverty, while diligence brings prosperity.
2. Dishonesty and Greed
• Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
• Proverbs 15:27 – “He who is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.”
→ The Bible teaches that quick and dishonest gains do not last, while prosperity built with honest and steady work is blessed and lasting.
• “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle”
→ This refers to money obtained illegally, through corrupt means, gambling, or deceptive schemes. Like adding water to a can of milk to increase the volume, reducing the amount of product and selling it at the same price; offering a lower-quality product for the price of a better one; helping one person by harming another in exchange for a favor; giving better treatment to someone because of money or advantage received. Wealth obtained this way usually disappears quickly.
• “But whoever gathers little by little will increase it” → This counsel from the Lord is a principle that teaches diligence and financial planning. Working with honesty and patience leads to sustainable growth.
• Proverbs 20:21 – “An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”
• Ecclesiastes 5:10 – “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This also is vanity.”
3. Lack of Fear of God
• Deuteronomy 28:15 – “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”
• Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked (…) but his delight is in the law of the Lord (…). Whatever he does shall prosper.”
→ Obedience to God and His commandments is connected to prosperity, while disobedience leads to suffering and ruin.
4. Lack of Wisdom and Planning
• Proverbs 21:5 – “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”
• Luke 14:28 – “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
→ Success requires planning and wisdom in managing resources.
5. Bad Habits and Bad Company
• Proverbs 23:21 – “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”
→ Addiction, mismanagement of resources, and bad influences inevitably lead to ruin.
6. Neglect of Work and Family
• 1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
→ The lack of responsibility in supporting the family brings hardship and suffering.
The man must ensure that his wife and children have their basic needs met, such as food, shelter, and clothing.
Scripture is clear in affirming that a man must financially take care of his home.
1 Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
If a man deliberately leaves the support of the household in the hands of the woman due to laziness, cowardice, or lack of commitment, he is sinning against God.
Proverbs 6:9-11 – “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—so shall your poverty come like a thief, and your need like an armed man.”
Isaiah 3:12 – “As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.”
In Israel, when men failed to lead, women took over, which was a sign of disorder.
Ecclesiastes 10:18 – “Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks.”
If the man does not work and fulfill his responsibility, his house falls into ruin.
7. Pride and Lack of Humility
• Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
• James 4:6 – “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
→ Pride can lead to failure, while humility attracts God’s grace.
8. Lack of Generosity
• Proverbs 11:24-25 – “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”
• Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your lap.”
→ Generosity and helping others are biblical principles that bring prosperity.
CONCLUSION
According to the Bible, a man may block his own prosperity through laziness, dishonesty, lack of fear of God, poor planning, bad company, family neglect, pride, and lack of generosity. The path to true prosperity involves diligent work, wisdom, faith, and obedience to God.
According to the Bible, a fake, lying, and dishonest person is prevented by God from prospering. Scripture teaches that God rejects falsehood and injustice, and those who practice such things eventually reap negative consequences.
1. God Abhors Dishonesty
• Proverbs 11:1 – “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.”
• Proverbs 13:11 – “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.”
→ Dishonesty in business and personal relationships can bring loss and ruin.
2. Lies Bring Consequences
• Proverbs 12:22 – “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
• Psalm 101:7 – “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.”
→ God rejects liars and promises they will not remain firm.
3. Hypocrisy and Pretense Are Condemned
• Matthew 23:28 – “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
• Luke 12:1-2 – “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.”
→ Hypocrisy can be hidden for a time, but God will expose the truth.
Ephesians 5:11-14 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’”
4. The Wicked’s Ruin is Certain
• Proverbs 10:3 – “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.”
• Proverbs 15:6 – “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.”
→ Even if a dishonest person seems to prosper for a time, his prosperity is temporary.
Psalm 37:7-9 – “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. (…) For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”
5. Justice and Truth Lead to True Prosperity
• Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked (…) but his delight is in the law of the Lord (…). Whatever he does shall prosper.”
• Proverbs 28:6 – “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”
→ True prosperity comes from righteousness and faithfulness to God.
⸻
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Bible teaches that lying, dishonesty, and hypocrisy may bring temporary gain, but in the end, they result in failure and destruction. God Himself hinders the prosperity of such people, allowing them to face the consequences of their actions. True prosperity comes from honesty, fear of God, and justice.
Isaiah 1:23 – “Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.”
Bribery is when someone gives or receives something of value—like money, favors, or gifts—to influence a decision unfairly or to obtain or give a benefit through corruption and deception.
In daily life, bribery appears in various ways:
– A driver offers money to a police officer to avoid a fine. Or a police officer accepts money to overlook an illegal act.
– A public official is paid to approve an illegal document.
– A judge favors one side in a case because of a secret payment.
– A boss selects an employee based on personal interest, not merit.
In the Bible, bribery is sin. It distorts justice and favors the wrong.
Exodus 23:8 – “You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.”
• Psalm 15:1, 5 – “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? (…) He who does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
• Isaiah 5:23 – “Woe to those who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man!”
Isaiah 33:15–16 - “The one who walks in righteousness and speaks with honesty, who rejects gain from oppression, who shakes his hands free of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking at evil—this person will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge. His bread will be provided, and his water will be sure.”
• Proverbs 29:4 – “The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.”
• Micah 7:3 – “That they may successfully do evil with both hands—The prince asks for gifts, the judge seeks a bribe, and the great man utters his evil desire; so they scheme together.”
→ Bribery destroys nations, governments, businesses, organizations and institutions, leading to widespread corruption.
According to the Bible, bribery is an unjust and corrupt practice that perverts judgment, harms the innocent, and displeases God. Those who accept or offer bribes are warned that their actions will lead to ruin. God demands justice and integrity in all areas of life.
#ASONE
