Faith and Money: What Does the Bible Say?
Source: Leadership Ministries, Inc.
As a faith-centered business leader, what is a healthy view of money and profit? Should we be constantly striving to make more and have more, or does God want us to be satisfied with what we have? If we are good stewards, then monetary gain benefits the kingdom as we are able to give more as we make more. Theologically, we tend to promote the extremes. Some say God wants us to be wealthy and to bless us monetarily—this is sometimes called the prosperity Gospel. Others would point to the poverty exemplified in the Bible and promote total dependence on God, even when we have very little or not enough at all.
Some view money as a motivator for work, while others see money as one of the many results of work, and still others see it as a resource to steward. Our view of money’s function with respect to life and work is important. If we don’t understand God’s teaching on this, then our faith can become misaligned with our livelihood. Ultimately why we work is as important as what we do. How does our pursuit of and view of money affect us, both spiritually and professionally?
The truth of money. The first mention of money in the Bible occurs in Genesis 17.[1] We don’t have much information of who began using money as a means of value, but as soon as man begins using it, our Creator gives specific instructions about it. God wants us to have a correct view of money, including its purpose and use, and how we amass it—so much so that there are over 2,300 Bible verses mentioning money, wealth, and possessions. About 15% of Jesus’ recorded teaching is on money, including 11 of 39 parables. It was Jesus’ most talked about topic.[2] Money itself is amoral—neither good nor bad. But it’s clear from Scripture that money is an enormous influence on the character and ambition of man.
The Bible’s teaching on money is not to become attached to it. We shouldn’t love it, crave it, desire it. Does God want us to have money, to amass it and be wealthy? There’s no indication in Scripture that He does. We are told to “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have…” (Hebrews 13:5), and to “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). The central teaching of the Bible with respect to money is to view it as simply a tool to accomplish God’s purposes, and not to make a goal or pursuit of it.
The truth of wealth. Wealthy people are not more generous than poor people. In fact, they give to charity to a lesser degree than middle-income and poor people.[3] A Forbes study found that US households making between $2 and $5 million per year donated an average of 3.44% of their income, while households making between $50,000 and $75,000 per year donated an average 7.6% of their income. Of Christian households, those with an income greater than $75,000 a year are the least charitable. In total, just 5% of church attenders at all income levels give regularly. The poorest 20% of Americans donate an average of 4.3% of their income—a greater percentage than millionaires. This is even more astounding when you consider that charitable gifts among the poorest Americans are not tax deductible, because they don’t earn enough to justify itemizing their deductions.[4] The truth is that monetary wealth makes us greedy—this is across the board, including Christians.
The truth of purpose. Of greatest importance with respect to our relationship with money is to understand God’s purpose for it. A crucial mistake many leaders make is to assume that God grants the blessing of monetary resources to us for our own desires, dreams and direction. The Bible is clear, though, that God has a specific purpose for money, and that our role is not to save it, or spend it, but to steward it. God is direct about the reason He chooses to bless us financially.
Whenever the Lord speaks of blessings in the Bible, it is followed by His reasons for it. “The Lord bless you and keep you… so that…” (Numbers 6:24-27). And again in Psalm 67:1-2: “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us, so that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” Material blessings by God are always connected to His desires and purposes for it. With the money we have we must ask the most important question: “What does God want me to do with these resources?” The answer to this should be the primary driver for our use of money. And, if God’s purposes are the reason we have money, then His purposes must also govern our collection of it.
If we love God first and most, then our attitudes and actions with respect to wealth will be healthy. Have we made God’s purposes our own? If not, we risk falling in love with money. 1 Timothy 6:10 is a familiar Scripture related to money: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” However we often overlook the second half of the verse: “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Seeking more and more money causes us to wander away from God. More money often leads to less of our true treasure. Conversely, having less wealth encourages us to fill our coffers with the Person and purposes of Christ for our lives and leadership.