Any wealth, power, or strength we have originated with God. Any gift or talent we have – the same is true (James 1:17; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Even our ability to give generously comes from God (Deuteronomy 8:18; 2 Corinthians 9:10-11). Everything we have, and everything else that exists, is all his.
Proverbs 10:22: "The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 11:14: "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 13:11: "Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
Interestingly, we owe Him everything. He has given us the opportunity for living eternally with Him. He has provided the opportunity for total and complete forgiveness for every wrong we have ever done or will do.
Jesus tells him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). We're told that he went away sad because he had great wealth.
(Genesis 1:22, NKJV; Matthew 25:14-30, TLB) The money you do have belongs to the Lord and is simply on loan. God will multiply your money according to your ability to give back. God will not give you what He can't give through you.
He prays: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, 'Who is the LORD? ' or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God” (Proverbs 30:8-9).
Wealth creation is a godly gift; and God says that he is the one who gives the ability to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
According to God's Word, there are four fundamental purposes for money: to provide for basic needs, to confirm direction, to give to those in need, and to illustrate God's power and care in provision. Understanding these purposes allows you to see how money relates to God's work in your life and community.
Money, for the follower of Jesus, is a tool for the kingdom. 2. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” (Matthew 6:2).
In Christian tradition, the love of money is condemned as a sin primarily based on texts such as Ecclesiastes 5:10 and 1 Timothy 6:10. The Christian condemnation relates to avarice and greed rather than money itself.
Debt is not God's best for our lives, because it prevents us from being able to do what He's called us to do. If God called you to move to another city, cut your hours at work or give extravagantly to someone in need, could you do it right now? Whatever we're controlled by is what we're enslaved to.
And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the Lord's release. Through the book of Deuteronomy, the Bible calls for debt forgiveness every seven years.
It doesn't say … God will bail you out of debt.
The verse they usually point to is Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” That's true, of course, and God will meet our needs — in the way He knows is best.
It's a basic biblical principle of stewardship—when we are faithful with a little bit, God will trust us with more. Generosity causes God to invest more in us because he knows we will continue to be generous. It's a cycle of God blessing us so we can give that goes on and on and on and on…
Psalm 9:9. “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” The Good News: Depression can make you feel as though you're weighed down. But no matter how troubled you feel, this verse reminds you that the Lord is always there to support you.
Some of Jesus' most important financial backers were women, historians say. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both men of stature and wealth, chipped in to help fund Jesus' ministry.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was well aware of the importance of money. He most likely handled silver, bronze and gold coins, both local and from the neighboring regions – Jewish, Greek, Roman, Syrian, Nabatean, Egyptian, all present in Judea at the time.
Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven."
Saving Honors God and Serves Others
Yet the Bible actually encourages us to set aside for expected, future needs. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (ESV). Saving honors God because it values money as a gift that He has given to us.
You can trust God with the money He's given you because He's the real owner of everything under the sun! He's the ultimate source of our security. As 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV) says, you shouldn't put your hope in wealth, but instead, “hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
God is working to display His glory in our financial limitations. This is true not only because it forges our character to become more like Christ, but also because it allows us to be witnesses of Christ to those who do not know Him.
God shows us favor when we express remorse over our sin. When guilt consumes us to the point of conviction. When we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved, (Romans 10:9).
Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 King James Version (KJV)
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
We placed money squarely in the spiritual realm because money represents a token of participation in the economy. We learned that money is both God's way of rewarding us for serving his other children and of motivating us to do so.