Many attribute their achievements, such as getting a dream job, getting married, or getting a new house or investment, to having found prosperity.

Others may define it as God giving us the grace of wisdom to excel, the patience to work well with people, or favor with an important person.

These are good things to have, and the Lord blesses us with them.

But can we say we have true prosperity when we are not seeing results, when expectations turn into disappointment, when prayers go seemingly unanswered, when life just doesn't seem to go the way we wanted or prayed for?

Will we still praise the Lord and worship Him and call Him good even in such circumstances?

As I'm writing this, I was recently met with disappointment in my job search. A promise of a job offer was met with silence. The wait for an email felt like a month had passed.

I told the Lord I would be completely lost if I did not secure the job offer. It has been a year of wandering, and every rejection has made me wonder if I should continue or do something else, whether a new business or a change of industry entirely.

Every month that passes makes my position weaker as a candidate.

Every disappointment comes with a wave of overwhelming despair. Does the Lord not care? Should I just give up?

But it is through these moments that we come to the Lord, trying to grasp some understanding. Why am I going through this? What does God want me to see?

It becomes a test of faith. Do we curse the Lord like the Israelites in the wilderness and complain, have you brought us here just to die? Or do we remain still in our hearts and praise Him even in such times?

I thank the Holy Spirit for reminding me what true prosperity really is.

It is found in Christ Jesus alone.

Paul discovered this secret while chained in prison.

Philippians 4:11-13 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Hebrews 13:5 "Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.'"

When we come to understand that it is no longer so much about what God can do for us, but who is with us, we find ourselves no longer setting our minds on our own desires. Instead, we start to appreciate a God who constantly watches over us, who knows what is going to happen, and who has already outlined our life story in ways we will one day appreciate, even though we cannot see it now.

That is our true prosperity. Not defined by circumstances. Not by a promise of wealth. But by a promise that we will not be forsaken.

Does this mean we will eventually see our desires met? Perhaps, and perhaps not. I say this because I’ve come to realized God often shows us a different way when it comes to meeting our desired prayers. For instance, when we pray for a dream job or promotion. We tend to recognize God’s answer by giving us wisdom in certain projects or favour with an interviewer. But our God is one who cares more about us forming Godly characters- and that sometimes may mean that God answers by wanting us to fix our attitudes toward our bosses, or it could mean we need to stop scrolling on social media late into the night, or it may even start with fixing our broken relationships.

Our Christian life requires total dependence on God on a daily basis. 

And we can be sure that we are well able to overcome any obstacle we face, for God will not put us in temptations beyond what we can bear.

I have also come to realize that even in moments of plenty, problems still arise in different ways, it can be in the form of temptations, increased stress, lack of sleep, relationship problems, and so on. Which is why Paul wrote that he needs Christ even in moments of abundance.

So knowing that we have this hope and strength to carry on despite any adversity we face, the thought of giving up no longer holds power. Instead, it becomes something we can boast about.

I used to battle with depressive thoughts, thoughts of just giving all up.

But it was through the days of crying out to the Lord day and night, that He drew near and revealed things to me.

I remember a time of prolonged unemployment years ago, I was playing a game, GTA V, if you know it. I was walking toward a deserted area in the game when a wave of loneliness, dread, and despair overwhelmed me again. I just felt so meaningless and asked God to take my life.

That is when a voice spoke to me, and I was sure it was Him. He said He longed for me to be in heaven with Him right now, even more than I wanted to, but that now was not the time. That assurance lifted all the negative thoughts in an instance.

And I later understood that I had a purpose here on earth, a job to accomplish, heavenly treasures to accumulate before going to Him. The Lord wanted me to keep serving Him in this life, so that I would have plenty waiting in heaven.

Paul said it this way: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

And it is only in such times that we truly understand what true prosperity, joy, and peace really is, the kind the world cannot offer and cannot take away.