One of the topics I was curious about when I first started my journey of getting to know God was wealth and having money. At this point, I was just beginning to build my knowledge of the Bible to see if it was true.
Some of the usual perceptions I heard about money were it’s evil, it’s not good to have a lot of money, investing is scary, Jesus was poor and didn’t have money, and people who have money are no good.
I wanted to see what the Bible said about wealth and money and if wealth is a gift from God. Reading the Bible helped me to understand money a bit more clearly.
Is there something wrong with having money?
From what I studied in the Bible, there is nothing wrong with having money. Wealth is a gift from God that he provides. Understanding and realizing this is crucial so we don’t hinder ourselves from being blessed with wealth. It can even be passed down through the generations as shown in Proverbs 13:22 and Psalm 112:1-3:
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
and
1 Blessed are those who fear the Lord,who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,their righteousness endures forever.
It’s hard to leave an inheritance of wealth if you don’t have any, so no, there is nothing wrong with having money.
What about when the Bible mentions how money is the root of all evil?
So, is money evil?
There is still this idea going around that money is evil. In 1 Timothy 6:10, it says:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
It does not say money is the root of all evil. The love of money, however, is. When you love money, you put that above everything else, including God.
If you love wealth, you are making wealth your God. Wealth doesn’t love you like God, who richly provides. Loving wealth will cause grief because it is unreliable.
What are some of the dangers of loving wealth?
To understand the difference between loving wealth and not loving wealth, let’s look at its dangers and see why loving money is a root of all kinds of evil.
1. It affects your character.
Like mentioned above, when it comes to the verse in Timothy 6:10, loving wealth is the root of evil because if you love it, you could/will do dishonest or immoral actions to get it. You’ll be mischievous, greedy, and self-centered.
We see this all throughout the world in our daily lives. From central banks and governments all the way down to friendships and marriages.
2. You can't serve two masters.
When you love money, you make wealth your God; there should be no other idols before God, and you can’t serve two masters, so there is no in-between. The verse in Matthew 6:24 tells you:
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Serving two masters causes confusion, and you could face serious consequences depending on which master you decide to serve. It will be God that you let rule your life, or it will be money, but you can’t serve both.
3. Wearing yourself out to get rich
Wearing yourself out to get rich is another danger. There is a balance. You don’t want to neglect other aspects of your life. Your well-being, relationships, and other parts of life are important too.
Sometimes you have to work hard to get the ball rolling on a project or business idea, or you’re studying hard in school to get good grades and a good job to make money. There may be a chunk of time where you have to dedicate your energy to working hard instead of going out or watching TV most of the time.
But there is a difference between that and wearing yourself out by relying only on your own personal cleverness and intelligence regarding schemes or manipulative tactics. Trust me; it doesn’t work, and you will eventually become worn out and won’t enjoy what you are doing, and in the end, it could be for nothing, as shown in Proverbs 23:4-5:
4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.
5 Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
Going this route could cause consequences and also cause anxiety, which isn’t good for your well-being because you’re relying on yourself, and therefore, you will make mistakes. You will need someone else to rely on, who is perfect, to help you out.
4. You will fall because your trust is not where it should be
You will fall if you put your trust and security into money and wealth instead of God. You will realize that putting your trust, security, and safety into material things is unstable, plays with your emotions, and does not possess lasting satisfaction. Proverbs 11:28 says:
“Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”
If you lost all your wealth, would you ask God for help or your wealth that no longer exists for help? Money cannot disappoint you if you aren’t trusting money itself.
5. You may forget where your faith should lie in the Lord Jesus Christ, who provides eternal life.
You may lose track of your priorities and forget where your faith lies. It’s important to stay within your faith in Jesus, who richly provides all your needs and gives you eternal life. These two verses show the dangers and concerns of having too much wealth. Proverbs 30:8-9 contains this humble prayer by Agur:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
The love of money can undoubtedly cause the danger of disowning God, as shown here, which is scary. Forgetting God is a road you don’t want to travel down. And in Mathew 19:24 it says:
“I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
It is harder for a rich person to inherit eternal life because a wealthy person tends to get comfortable and put their faith and trust in their wealth. They can feel like they need nothing else or no one else, but again, money really doesn’t bring true happiness.
God is the one that satisfies and provides, which brings me to my next point.
6. You won't be satisfied.
You won’t be satisfied with what you have if you love wealth. You will always chase after more wealth which is meaningless because wealth does not bring overall happiness or contentment.
There is nothing wrong with having it, but be happy and content with what you have as you build wealth. The process will be more enjoyable and natural when you aren’t chasing money and making it the center of everything. Getting closer to and/or achieving your financial goals will add to your happiness, but it shouldn’t be what you’re happiness is based on. Ecclesiastes 5:10 makes this clear:
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!
So when you hear people say, “Money doesn’t buy happiness,” it is true.
7. You may be more willing to take on excessive debt.
Many of us have experienced or are experiencing this one, and that’s okay. The good news is God can use us for his glory in this instance and get us out of it by showing us ways or giving us opportunistic ideas, or however he sees fit to do it. The reality is, though, when you are in debt, you are a slave, as shown in Proverbs 22:7:
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
There is a time and place for everything, so I’m not saying everything to do with debt is bad, but excessive, unnecessary debt isn’t the way to go.
So, with that in mind
Money is not evil itself, but as shown in Timothy 6:10, the love of it is. Wealth is a tool to be used for ourselves and for others. You can choose how and what to use it for, like any other tool.
When you realize it is just a tool, it won’t seem like this almighty Money God that we make it to be. It is needed in life, but it is not the end all be all.
Our priorities will be in the right spot and balanced if we realize this. Money and wealth won’t be scary and evil. Your priorities are straight as long as you don’t love money and make it your God. God is the provider of all your needs, as seen in 1 Timothy 6:17:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Remember who has your back even when you have scary moments with money. When you are blessed with abundant wealth, remember who blessed you with it.
Is wealth a blessing from God?
Yes, wealth is a gift from God.
The Bible shows examples of wealth being a blessing from God. Also, not to mention all good things come from God, and if wealth is a blessing from God, then it must be good. In Proverbs 10:22, it says:
“The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.”
This verse clearly shows that the Lord’s blessing will bring you wealth, showing that wealth comes from God. On top of that, he will do it without painful toil for it. How cool!
More Thought:
When I think of the “without painful toil” part of the verse, I imagine that however you ultimately accumulate wealth, it will be an overall enjoyable experience. It won’t feel like work. It won’t be painful, whatever that may be in the context of your life.
Who are some people in the Bible who were wealthy?
In the Bible, quite a few had money; some were wealthy, yet they still followed God. They weren’t perfect, but they didn’t put the money above him. They were not evil for having money and worldly wealth.
King David was rich and a man after God’s own heart, as written in Acts 13:22.
The well-known King Solomon also had money. God gave him a few things. One of them was wealth, as seen in 2 Chronicles 1:12.
Jesus had money since he was just a baby. The wise men brought him a few items. One of them being gold shown here in Matthew 2:11:
“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
This tells me that God is the giver of money and wealth. If this is the case, then there is nothing wrong with having money. He wants you to have it.
So he wants us to have money and worldly wealth?
Yes, he does.
Are there Bible verses that show this?
Some Bible verses stood out to me that helped answer this question. One of them is Ecclesiastes 10:19, which says:
“A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.”
Pretty interesting. This sounds like God knows we need money to live. And he would know since he is the giver of money, which is shown in Deuteronomy 8:18.
Another great verse in the Bible about wealth that shows God wants us to have it is Ecclesiastes 5:19, which again indicates if he didn’t want us to have money, why then, would he be the giver of wealth:
“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.”
So, we are blessed with the ability to enjoy them. Guys, we can enjoy our wealth. This is one of God’s ways to show off through us. We should not be ashamed when blessed with wealth. If you want a nice house, get it. If you want a nice fishing pole or a nice computer, get it.
Having money also means we can serve God easier regarding the financial aspect.
Not only is having wealth a gift and a blessing from God which shows his desire for us to have it, but you can help others and help spread the good news when you have an abundance of it, which God enjoys us doing as well.
When you think about it, the more people with the right wisdom that have the money, the better. A Jesus follower is likely to manage it in more of a Christ-like way.
God does like it when we give from a cheerful heart, as shown in 2 Corinthians 9:6-9. Since Christ’s followers know this, they do it because Jesus loves them and because they love Jesus. We give because we want to give, and there is no denying that money does aid in being able to give more.
The Bible does show you how to multiply and manage your money.
Which is awesome. It gives you a foundation for handling and multiplying money, from giving and working to investing. With that knowledge and foundation, I think it makes it easier to decipher the noise in the world and what you can learn from others when you know what the Bible says about wealth.
What does it show you about money when it comes to multiplying?
It helped me to understand that there is nothing wrong with investing. Investing is a great way to grow your wealth. This caught my attention in the parable about the talents given to the 3 servants. In Matthew 25:26-27, it talks about what the third servant could have done to multiply his talent:
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.'”
He could’ve at least put the money in the bank to gain interest on it. It hit me. What do people usually do after they save? They start to invest if they want to multiply it even more.
Whether that be businesses or other types of investments, so, at the very least, if the third servant didn’t want to multiply it by other means, he could’ve at least gotten interest on it from the bank.
How important is managing money?
Managing money is very important when it comes to having and growing wealth. All aspects of managing money play a role and intertwine with each other. How you handle and manage your worldly wealth indicates your trustworthiness regarding true riches, which makes sense. They directly correlate. Luke 16:11 says:
“So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”
It will be a balancing act to keep everything in check. Still, like with other subjects, it will become natural once you educate yourself and experience handling money. You will likely make some mistakes, but ultimately you’ll be weeding out what works and what doesn’t.
If you are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to learn how to manage your wealth, you not only do yourself a favor but also do a favor to others. You will also show your trustworthiness with the true riches of heaven, from spiritual gifts to eternal life.
You can grow wealth by diligently managing money and taking opportunities when they present themselves.
The Bible tells you it's okay to grow wealth slowly, little by little.
From the looks of it, according to the Bible on wealth, this is a great way to multiply your money diligently. Slowly could mean 3 months from now, 2 years from now, or 5 years from now. The main thing is you are to be patient and diligent when growing wealth. Here are a couple of noteworthy verses in Proverbs 28:20 and Proverbs 13:11:
“A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.”
and
“Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.”
We try to rush to get more money as fast as possible, sometimes not in the wisest ways. Then we have to face the consequences. Sometimes, because we are in such a rush to gather wealth, we do it dishonestly, and dishonest gain causes issues and anxiety.
I’m finding, though, that going through the process of gathering money little by little is very satisfactory. It builds your character as you find ways to build up your knowledge and put ideas into action. It gives you a chance to process and learn from your mistakes and tweak what you are doing.
From this, the money starts to slowly grow. But this is easier to achieve when you aren’t overly stressed and focused solely on the money. Being stressed and focused on just the cash clouds your thought process and creativity.
There is another verse in Proverbs 21:5 that states:
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage, But everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty.”
Most, if not all, people have learned that there are better ways to plan than acting in haste. I have learned this the hard way quite a few times, and hopefully have learned.
When producing wealth, it’s better to do it with diligent planning. Diligent doesn’t mean slow. It means you’re more thorough with your planning and, therefore, better your chances of becoming successful in whatever you are doing, even when it comes to money.
It shows you that part of money management is saving some of it.
There is a Bible verse in Proverbs about ants and how they save. In proverbs 6:6-8 it says:
“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”
So, if they know not to gobble everything up all at once that they worked for and to save for the winter, should we have enough knowledge to do the same? That is another excellent lesson on wealth in the Bible.
It also talks about saving in Proverbs 21:20. In basic terms, it says that the wise save and fools don’t.
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”
I want to be on the wise side. There is no grey area here. It’s straight to the point and makes a whole lot of sense. Wise people have the mindset of storing enough so they don’t run out. If this is what wise people do, and we want to be in a wise category, then we should consider storing up some resources.
And yes, there are physical aspects to acquiring wealth.
As mentioned before, opportunities will come. I’ve heard people use the verse about the bird in Matthew 6:26 in the sense that God will take care of your needs and bring everything to you. It says:
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Something that could be looked at is the birds were in the air. God provides for them, but they don’t just sit in their nest, hoping for the best.
They don’t just wake up and say, “Oh well, I guess I’ll just sit here and wait for the food to fall out of the sky into my nest.” Now granted, it may happen here and there, but this verse clearly states the birds of the air, not the birds of the nest.
So, they were up and working. They were flying, searching for the opportunity to gather up the food that God had provided. The birds were flying, expecting to find the food they were seeking.
They didn’t worry, “Oh, wonder if I fly out here and don’t find any food! I’d rather just sit here and not try”. Many of them probably wouldn’t make it very long just sitting in the nest if this was the case.
God will provide all of your needs through Christ Jesus through your belief and union with him according to this verse in Philippians 4:19:
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
Even then, just like other friendships, you have to work and put in the time and effort to get to know someone. This happens naturally when you want to know someone, but it still takes effortless effort.
Here is another essential verse in Proverbs 14:23:
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
Talking and doing really are two different things. You have to put into action the thoughts and ideas you learn and talk about. The action part is what will bring the profit.
Giving is also essential when it comes to money.
Give out of love and know that God will give back out of love.
It’s not very healthy to hog all of your money. Giving is in the Bible when it comes to wealth. You have to remember who gave you that money in the first place.
If you are afraid to help others because you think you’ll never get that back, then it’s like giving money more power than it really has. Here is a verse in the Bible that can back up this point. In Proverbs 28:22, it says:
“A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.”
You hogging your money is like saying God can’t replace what you give. With that mindset, it will be harder to gather the money because you are afraid it can never be replaced. I don’t see this as being valid. There is a verse written in Luke 6:38 that makes this point clear:
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
This verse applies to more than just money, but it falls under here because money is just a tool. God will ensure you have enough money so you do not have to fear. And also, remember 1 Corinthians 1:9 says:
“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
He will honor his promise since God is faithful and cannot lie.
How and why should we give?
Giving can be money itself, but it can also be from groceries to a car and to creating establishments that help others, all of which are usually involved with money.
Besides, helping and giving to others feels good when you do it from a cheerful heart. It shows that we can understand God gave it to us, and we are more than happy to share the blessing.
You don’t want to store treasures for only yourself because you know where the real treasure lies, as shown in Matthew 6:19-20. This verse doesn’t say you can’t have treasures and things on earth. You can. It’s saying to make sure you’re priorities are straight:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.“
Not to mention since it is in the Bible to give, and the Bible is the manual to life, then we should give as part of money management, but from a cheerful heart. If you give from a cheerful heart, you’re doing it because you want to and have a pleasant desire to, so therefore, it naturally becomes part of money management. In 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, it says
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
This is just the beginning of the incredible power of giving, but we will digress for now.
Being content and thankful is needed for your financial well-being.
Why is it needed?
It’s important to remember to Be content and thankful for where you’re at, and that wealth is a gift from God. It’s already yours. In the meantime, opportunities or ideas will present themselves, physically or in your head, and you can see them much more clearly if your mind isn’t anxious and trying to gather money as fast as possible.
Be content and thankful because, in the end, it will be gratifying. Not just in the financial aspect of it, but it brings out more of who you are. More awesome characteristics that you didn’t know you had as you take each step toward your goals.
Being content will influence your financial decisions and your happiness.
When you are content, you are more at peace and thinking more clearly. You’re level-headed and patient. You’re also diligently planning and taking it day by day and not being hard on yourself. The Bible tells you to be content and keep free from the love of money in Hebrews 13:5:
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
This all plays a part in your financial decision-making. When you’re content and happy, your head is clearer, and you will likely make better financial decisions instead of stressed or anxious financial decisions.
Sometimes those stressed or anxious financial decisions will lead to mistakes. So, the more content you are, the more you can learn from them and the less mistakes you will make.
Every aspect of wealth in the Bible plays a part when managing wealth.
You can’t go overboard in one aspect and underplay it in another. It’s a balancing act. These are just a few aspects of wealth in the Bible that I think are great pieces of wisdom to remember. As you learn more of the many verses about money in the Bible, it will help you see money in a different light. Money isn’t evil, and Jesus’ followers can have money too.
Will you be perfect all the time? No, but when you notice you are starting to or are off balance, it’s simple enough to evaluate and tweak what needs to be tweaked. No need to overly stress about it.
There is a time and place for everything, as Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:1. So, there is a time and place for everything in money. A time to give and a time to save. A time to invest and a time to spend. There’s also a time to work and a time to relax.
Also, don’t forget about these points when it comes to money:
There is nothing wrong with having money
Money is not evil
Wealth is a gift from God
He wants you to have money
God shows you how to multiply and manage money
You can grow wealth by diligently managing it and taking opportunities when they come
Giving is fulfilling
Being content for the sake of your well-being and happiness will influence your financial decision-making
So, remember these tidbits when someone tries to tell you it’s wrong to have, like, and enjoy the money. You should enjoy it since it is a blessing from God. Wealth is a gift from God. Don’t let what people say sway your mindset from what you know is true.