Money According to the Bible
What does the Bible say about Money?
I have been thinking a lot about what the Bible says about money, finances, and wealth and how we should go about these things.
It seems generally accepted that Christians should not be super rich or wealthy. I have found that this seems to turn people off sometimes when it comes to Christianity.
Yet, I am not convinced Christians should be poor or barely get by either. I have been wondering if Christians should be well off because of our connection to the creator of everything.
So, today, I want to look through the scriptures to see what they say about money, wealth, finances, etc. And maybe we can draw some conclusions.
20 Bible Verses About Wealth, Money, and Finances
Below is a list of Bible verses I have collected regarding money, wealth, and finances. Let’s look at these and discuss some conclusions later in the post.
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” — Proverbs 22:7
“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” — Proverbs 13:11
“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” — Proverbs 16:8
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” — Proverbs 22:1
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” — Proverbs 21:5
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” — Ecclesiastes 5:10
“A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” — Proverbs 28:20
“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.” — Proverbs 23:4
“The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.” — Proverbs 28:22
“Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.” — Proverbs 22:16
“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.” — 1 Timothy 6:10
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19–21
“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.” — Matthew 6:24
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 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. 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.” — 1 Timothy 6:6–10
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” — Proverbs 3:9–10
“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” — Proverbs 22:9
“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
“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.” — Luke 6:38
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” — Luke 16:10–11
“The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.” — 1 Samuel 2:7
What Does the Bible Say About Wealth, Money, and Finances?
After reviewing these scriptures, I found a few trends every Christian should consider regarding money, wealth, and finances. Here are the trends that I have found:
Love of Money
The love of money is the root of all evil. Notice that it doesn’t say money is the root of all evil, just the love of it. This is important because we often hear that money is evil, but that isn’t what the Bible says.
It makes sense that the love of money is evil. Want to know why? Because loving money over God is what creates evil.
I have found that when someone begins to focus solely on money and lose sight of God, things begin to spiral out of control for them. Yet, things are different when someone is focused on God, and money is not their focus.
Generosity is Rewarded
Give, and it will be given to you. I hate to think of giving this way, but the Bible talks about it repeatedly. And I have seen it happen for us and others that giving is huge.
Now, this is a slippery slope. If you are giving only to get, this is not the intent of scripture. Yet, this is a very easy path to go down.
However, if you are giving to be a blessing, it is almost as if God is saying that he will not forget you and will continue to bless you more. This way, you can bless others more. The reward is blessing to blessing.
How You Build Wealth Matters
Wealth gained hastily (get-rich-quick) will dwindle. Don’t build your wealth by taking advantage of others. Instead, build it over time. Don’t take advantage of people to become wealthy.
It is easy to try and build wealth the way culture says to do. Whether getting products from places that take advantage of populations or tricking people into something, don’t do it that way.
Instead, grow your wealth in an honorable manner. Build it slow, put in the work, and honor God with your labor. Then see how you will do making money.
How You Manager Your Money Matters
Those who are responsible with a little will be responsible with more. We struggle with our finances with very little, so what happens when we are responsible?
Sure enough, if we can handle a little, God will give us much more. The blessing will flow, and he will find ways to stretch us even.
So, are you being responsible when it comes to handling your money? Or are you being irresponsible and spending recklessly? Things could be better if you can get a handle on your money.
The Ability to Produce Wealth
Deuteronomy contains several verses that mention wealth, including Deuteronomy 8:18, which states:
“But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Now, this is a reminder to God’s people, Israel. Yet, when we entered a relationship with God, all promises and covenants were also given to those who believed in Jesus.
Because of this, we, too, can walk in these promises. And one of those promises is that God gives the ability to produce wealth. If that is true, then we know something else to be true.
A Roadmap for Wealth, Money, and Finances
I think the Bible points Christians to abundance.
Which looks different for everyone. Abundance for me might be different than abundance for you. Yet, I do not believe God wants his people to be poor or in poverty.
I believe that we can find a path to financial abundance and wealth.
This path to prosperity is based on the foundation that we have the ability to create wealth. If that is true, here is what we can consider to find the abundance:
Be generous, guard your heart against the love of money, build your wealth with integrity, and manage your wealth so you can be a blessing.
If we can do these things, I do not see why more Christians don’t find financial abundance in life.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic. Share in the responses below!
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This is a great summary! Thanks! My husband and I generally follow Dave Ramsey's financial strategies, and one thing we often run up against with other believers who don't like his teachings on finances is his focus on building wealth. But somehow they always miss that his purpose for building wealth is to take care of your family (1 Timothy 5:8) and to be generous with others. It's not about a love of money or hoarding wealth for yourself.