What does the Bible say about money?

by | Dec 9, 2019 | Life in America | 0 comments

Holy Bible with $100 bill

What does OUR CULTURE say about money?

  • Money makes you happy.
  • The more money you have, the happier you’ll be.
  • You can never have enough or be satisfied. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), at the peak of his wealth, owned about 1% of the US economy. When asked “How much money is enough?” he replied: “Just a little bit more.”
  • Money makes you safe and secure.
  • The US$ 151-billion advertising industry (in 2018, up 4.1% over 2017) exists to make you feel insecure and inadequate, but if you buy “product A” or “service B,” you’ll be happy, beautiful, popular, secure, accepted, up-to-date, cool, successful, smart, with the in-crowd….
  • If you don’t have enough money, it’s because “the top 1% has too much,” the minimum wage is too low, the system is rigged, capitalism has failed, rich people and business owners are selfish, you attended a bad school, your parents didn’t teach you right, etc.
  • Think about it: What other messages do YOU think our culture tells us about money?
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What does THE BIBLE say about money?  (Some claim there are 2,000+ verses about money in the Bible– this is a PARTIAL list)

  • Gen. 2:2-3, Ex. 23:12. Take a “sabbatical” every 7 days; don’t work 24/7.
  • Gen. 41:34-36. Save up in good times so you can survive bad times.
  • Deut. 8:18. God gives you the ability and smarts to be able to create wealth.
  • Judges 16:4-5,18. Money may corrupt someone you think is a loyal lover.
  • Ps. 49:10-12. We can’t take it with us; we must leave 100% behind.
  • Ps. 62:10. Even if you get wealthy, do not set your heart on money.
  • Ps. 73. Don’t envy the arrogant or wicked who have more money than you do. Their foundation is shakier than it appears.
  • Ps. 127:2. Don’t be a workaholic; God gives sleep to those He loves.
  • Prov. 6:6-8. Ants are our role-models! They have no ruler, but work on time.
  • Prov. 10:4. Laziness brings poverty, but diligence brings wealth.
  • Prov. 11:28. Do not trust in riches; do not center your life on riches.
  • Prov. 12:11. Work hard at your job and have plenty of food; don’t chase fantasies.
  • Prov. 12:24. Lazy people end up in bondage to others, ruled by others.
  • Prov. 13:4. A sluggard is never satisfied, but the diligent are.
  • Prov. 13:11. Be honest & gather money little by little.
  • Prov. 13:16, 14:29. Plan & think ahead; don’t be impulsive or driven by anger.
  • Prov. 13:18. Ignore discipline & correction and you’ll end up broke.
  • Prov. 13:22. Leave money for your grandchildren.
  • Prov. 14:23. All hard work brings money, but empty talk brings poverty.
  • Prov. 15:27. Do not be greedy & hate bribes.
  • Prov. 20:10. Be honest in your measures, weights, record keeping, etc.
  • Prov. 21:5. Planning + diligence bring wealth, but haste leads to poverty.
  • Prov. 21:20. Store up & save; don’t consume all you get.
  • Prov. 21:25-26. Sluggards refuse to work but crave more; the righteous give lots.
  • Prov. 22:1. Choose to have a good name over great wealth.
  • Prov. 22:7. The borrower is slave to the lender.
  • Prov. 22:9. Be generous & share your food with the poor–God will bless you.
  • Prov. 22:26-27. Never cosign for a loan.
  • Prov. 23:4,5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; riches can disappear quickly.
  • This news story from Northern Germany explains how a man saw his over one half million Euros (almost US$750,000) “sprout wings like an eagle” and fly away–actually the money LITERALLY went “up in smoke.”
  • Prov. 27:23. Keep clear records of your wealth & investments; don’t be sloppy
  • Prov. 28:8. Do not get rich off the backs’ of poor people.
  • Prov. 28:22. Stingy people will end up poor.
  • Prov. 28:25. Greedy people stir up dissension; those who trust God will prosper.

You will notice that the Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about money and other practical life matters. Take the Proverbs Challenge! Learn more here.

  • Eccl. 2:4-11. Possessions & pleasure will NOT satisfy you.
  • Eccl. 2:18-22. After we die, we leave it all to the next person: smart or a fool?
  • Eccl. 2:23. Don’t let worries about money keep you awake at night.
  • Eccl. 2:24-26. ENJOY your work, food & drink–God wants you to!
  • Eccl. 4:9. Get a business partner to share the work with–don’t wear yourself out.
  • Eccl. 5:10-11. No matter how much you have, it’s natural to always crave more.
  • Eccl. 5:13-19. ENJOY your work.
  • Eccl. 10:18. Spend money to maintain your home & investments.
  • Eccl. 10:19. Money actually CAN help you get a lot of things done.
  • Malachi 2:16. God hates divorce. (Divorce destroys wealth, among much else.)
  • Malachi 3:9-10. Not giving to God is stealing from Him; give your tithe to Him.
  • Matt. 5:42. Give & loan to those who ask for help.
  • Mt. 6:2-5. When you give, do it in secret so only God knows–He will reward you.
  • Matt. 6:21. Where your treasure is, there your heart is.
  • Mt. 6:24, 19:21-26.  Do not love money more than you love God; Money is a great servant but a BAD master.
  • Matt. 6:25,33. Don’t worry about food, drink or clothes; seek God’s kingdom first.
  • Matt. 6:26. Do not worry; if God takes care of birds, He will take care of you.
  • Matt. 10:7-8. If you have received freely, so then give freely.
  • Matt. 18:21-35. Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
  • Matt. 20:1-16. Parable of Workers in the Vineyard.
  • Mt. 25:14-30. Wisely use, invest, & grow what God gives you; do not “bury it.”
  • Matt. 25:31-46. Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
  • Matt. 26:15-16. Money can tempt some people to do wrong & betray a friend.
  • Matt. 27:1-10. Returning “dishonest money” may not assuage your guilt.
  • Mark 4:19. It is deceitful and it can choke out your love & appetite for God.
  • Mark 8:36. It’s bad to gain the whole world but lose your soul.
  • Mark 10:17-27. The Rich Young Ruler
  • Luke 6:32-35. Be willing to lend freely, even to your enemies.
  • Luke 7:36-50. The bigger your debt is cancelled, the more you’ll love the forgiver.
  • Luke 10:25-37. Parable of the Good Samaritan
  • Luke 12:13-21. Parable of the Rich Fool
  • Luke 12:15. Watch out for all kinds of greed! Life is more than the stuff you own.
  • Luke 12:47-48. The more God has given you, the more He will expect from you!
  • Luke 15:8-10. Parable of the Lost Coin
  • Luke 15:11-32. Parable of the Lost Son/s
  • Luke 16:1-9. Parable of the Shrewd Manager
  • Luke 16:10-12. If you’re honest with little you’ll be honest with much
  • Luke 16:14. The Pharisees loved money
  • Luke 16:19-31. The Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus
  • John 12:1-3. We may give expensive gifts to those we truly love and appreciate.
  • John 12:4-7. Some people lie about their motives on how they use money.
  • John 12:8. There will always be poor people.
  • Romans 13:8. The only debt you should have, is the debt to keep loving people
  • I Cor. 5:11. Do not associate with fake Christians who are greedy
  • I Cor. 6:10, Eph. 5:5. Thieves & greedy people will not inherit the kingdom of God
  • I Cor. 16:2. Give to God’s work at church on a consistent basis
  • 2 Cor. 9:7. Be a cheerful giver, not driven by guilt or compulsion
  • Phil. 4:11-13. Be content, whether wealthy or not
  • Phil. 4:19. God will supply all your needs!
  • I Thess. 2:5. Some people use “God talk” as a cover for greed
  • I Tim. 6:6-12. Be content, don’t crave money; the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (Note: this verse is often misquoted)
  • I John 3:16-18. If we have wealth and see a fellow believer struggling financially, we should have pity and offer them practical help, not just religious talk.

“There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to need less.” –G.K. Chesterton

  • I Tim. 6:17-19. Don’t let money make you conceited or build your life on it; share.
  • James 5:1-6. Don’t hoard, be self-indulgent, or oppressive with your money.
  • I Peter 5:2. Serve in ministry because you want to, not to get money.

Other resources for your further learning:

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