Using our money foolishly and building a mound of possessions does not reflect a biblical attitude focused on Christ.Ĭontentment with necessities is also important because we will not take our finances or possessions with us to heaven. Life is not measured by how much you own” ( Luke 12:15, NLT). Jesus gave His disciples an important warning when He said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. If we live simpler lives, free from the entanglement of unneeded items, we are less likely to desire more money to accumulate things we cannot afford. However, we can rest assured that God gives us what we need, just as he feeds the sparrows and clothes the flowers of the field ( Matthew 6:25-30). Scripture teaches that pagans chase after necessities from a place of fear and worry ( Matthew 6:32). God provides us with the basics we need in life, such as food, clothing, and shelter. The author of Hebrews also mentions the need for contentment when he wrote, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you never will I forsake you’” ( Hebrews 13:5). In the same passage that warns us of the love of money, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to be content with necessities ( 1 Timothy 6:6-8). The wise person places their hope in the Lord, “who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” ( 1 Timothy 6:17). Placing our hope and trust in money is foolish because it can quickly disappear ( Proverbs 23:5). Heeding the warning of Scripture, we can turn away from the idol of wealth. Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve both God and money ( Matthew 6:24). When people allow the love of money to consume their lives, finances become an idol.Īnyone, including a believer, can wrongly place their bank account as the priority in their lives. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs ( 1 Timothy 6:9-10).Īlthough having money is not wrong, we need to be careful to guard our hearts against greed. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. Paul described this in a letter to Timothy: Beware the Love of MoneyĪnother essential teaching from Scripture about finances is that we should beware of the love of money. Instead of maintaining a temporary focus on building large nest eggs for retirement or investing money to make the dollar signs increase, biblical stewardship helps us to see our finances from an eternal focus. When we recognize that we are stewards of our bank accounts, our perspectives change. Looking at financial matters from a biblical standpoint changes the way we use money. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” ( Luke 16:10-11, NLT). But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. In James 1:17, believers are reminded that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”Īs Jesus stated in a different parable, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. While individuals do earn money from their jobs, the Bible teaches us that we are stewards of our finances, not owners. In their reasoning, they work for money, and thus their finances belong to them. People can easily assume that they are the owners of their money. So, what does the Bible say about the use of our money? The following points provide a biblical overview so that we can start glorifying God with our money and using our resources to forward the spread of the gospel. Are we spending our finances to serve ourselves and make our lives indulgently comfortable?ĭo we try to keep our bank accounts separate from our Christian life? If Jesus is the priority of our life, then we must start examining the topic of finances from a biblical standpoint. As believers, we need to consider where our “treasure” is going. Jesus taught us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also ( Matthew 6:21). According to Jesus, it determines where our heart goes.” However, the Bible says a lot about our personal finances, including the need to give sacrificially and to avoid loving and grasping onto our money.Īs Randy Alcorn, a Christian author, says on his blog, “What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where our heart is. Many believers only think about their money in terms of tithing, giving 10% of their income.
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