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Money has been around for a very long time, and the Bible makes reference to it from the very first book of the Old Testament. But what does the Bible actually say about money? Well, there are tips on how to have a healthy relationship with money, how to manage it, and how to spend it. The Bible also addresses a number of moral dilemmas about wealth.
Curious? Click through and find out what the Bible says about money.
Hebrews 13:5 (English Standard Version) tells us to keep our lives free from “love of money” and to be content with what we have, because God will never leave or forsake us.
The Bible says “that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils.” 1 Timothy 6:10 explains: “it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Instead, wealth should be created slowly and steadily. “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase.” (Proverbs 13:11).
The Bible uses the analogy of serving two masters to illustrate this. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)
You will never be satisfied with what you have and will always want more. Ecclesiastes 5:10 goes as far as calling it vanity. The passage reads: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”
Proverbs 22:7 states, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”
It’s easy to associate one’s life’s worth with one’s possessions, but Luke 12:15 tells us, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
The Bible reminds us that God provides us with everything and that using one’s riches to do God’s work is a blessing. “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life,” reads 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
This idea is put forward in Proverbs 22:1, which reads: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
Treasures on Earth can be stolen, but thieves won't be able to steal treasures in heaven. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).
The Bible tells us that a good man’s inheritance is left to his children's children, but “the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:22).
The Bible also has advice when it comes to debt. And while the message is to avoid it, when it comes to love, things are different. "The only thing we should owe to each other is love" (Romans 13:8).
Financial planning is very important in order to avoid bad decisions. Being prudent and assessing one’s economic condition before buying something is a concept also found in the Bible. Luke 14:28 says: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?”
Proverbs 21:5 gives yet another piece of advice when it comes to financial planning: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Wealth won’t save you on judgment day, only righteousness will. Proverbs 11:4 tells us that “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”
The Catholic Church may have sold indulgences in the past, but Peter says in Acts 8:20, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”
When lending money to someone, know that “the wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” (Psalm 37:21).
Deuteronomy 8:18 is pretty clear when it says that “it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
Making money honestly is important in God’s eyes. Accepting bribes to earn an extra buck will have consequences. “Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live,” reads Proverbs 15:27.
Providing for the household is the reality for many of us, and indeed the Bible tells us it’s a good thing. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8).
Giving, and indeed tithing, has been around for a very long time. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. One passage reads “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion.”
The Bible is clear when it comes to helping out those around us who, for any reason, become poor. “You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.” (Deuteronomy 15:7).
Givers will be blessed. According to Act 20:35, Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
We find this message in Matthew 6:2. It reads: “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”
Tithing has been around since the dawn of time, according to the Bible. There is a reference to a vow Jacob made to God in the Book of Genesis.
The vow Jacob made was as follows: “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” (Genesis 28:20-22).
Psalm 37:16-17 points that being poor doesn’t necessarily mean being forsaken by God. “Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.”
Wealth is not inherently evil, but the pursuit of it can sometimes take us down the wrong path. 1 Timothy 6:9 has a word of caution about it: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
This is usually the case for most law-abiding citizens. Romans 13:7 reminds us to “pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
There are many ways to make money, but doing so dishonestly is not what the Bible recommends. Psalm 62:10 is pretty clear when it says: “Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.”
Sources: (Open Bible) (Crosswalk) (Bible Gateway)
See also: Motivational Bible verses about work
What does the Bible say about money?
Can financial advice from the holy book be helpful?
LIFESTYLE Religion
Money has been around for a very long time, and the Bible makes reference to it from the very first book of the Old Testament. But what does the Bible actually say about money? Well, there are tips on how to have a healthy relationship with money, how to manage it, and how to spend it. The Bible also addresses a number of moral dilemmas about wealth.
Curious? Click through and find out what the Bible says about money.