Christianity and Wealth
Many Christians today are
uncertain about God's position on wealth, and therefore uncertain about what
their attitude toward money should be. Some preach "abundant
living"—that wealth is proof of a Christian's faith and a sign of God's
approval. Others condemn wealth and frown on Christians who amass personal
fortunes. People of both persuasions back up their stances with scripture. In
actuality, the Bible is more balanced.
• God does not condone
dishonest acquisition of wealth.
How can I tolerate your
merchants who use dishonest scales and weights?—Micah 6:11 NLT
• But He does not condemn
wealth per se.
It is a good thing to
receive wealth from God.—Ecclesiastes 5:19 NLT
• The Bible contains
several accounts of people whom God specifically blessed with wealth, such as
Isaac and Job.
Then Isaac sowed in that
land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The
man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.—Genesis
26:12-13
[After a time of severe
testing] the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.—Job 42:10
• God has promised to
provide for those who love and try to please Him.
No good thing will He
withhold from those who walk uprightly.—Psalm 84:11
My God shall supply all
your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.—Philippians
4:19
• He especially blesses
those who help others in need.
He who has pity on the poor
lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.—Proverbs 19:17
Remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to
receive."—Acts 20:35
• When money and
possessions take preeminence in our hearts and lives, we displease God and
bring trouble upon ourselves.
The love of money is a root
of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their
greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.—1 Timothy
6:10
• Money will never bring
lasting happiness or fulfillment.
Whoever loves money never
has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.—Ecclesiastes
5:10 NIV
So the bottom line seems to
be that much depends on our attitude. God wants to bless us financially, but He
also expects us to use His blessings in a godly way. It's through our
relationship with Him that we will find our greatest fulfillment and success in
life—the truest riches.
Samuel Keating is
Production Manager of Activated, and lives in Milan, Italy.