TRUSTING BIBLE ADVICE ON MONEY
The Bible says: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
LOVERS OF MONEY MAY DENY AND RATIONALIZE
Money lovers may disregard the Bible’s good advice and dwell on the good that money can do: They may stress that money can be used to take care of one’s family. It can be use it to help others, and to give to the causes of God, as some wealthy philanthropists do. For instance, a rich man in the Bible provided Jesus with an expensive tomb and costly burial after the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. (Matthew 27:57-60).
Jesus told some people they should not focus so much on giving money that they neglect to do “weightier” or more important things that God asks them to do (Matthew 23:23). The Bible says, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). Doing good things alone cannot please God or save you. Salvation is a gift of God, and not of good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, good works should result in efforts to please God for giving his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our salvation (John 3:16; James 2:26).
LOVE OF MONEY MAY HINDER YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
The Word of God says, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind (Luke 10:29). Yet, In the Bible, a rich man had kept most of the commandments; but Jesus told him he still lacked one thing. The lord told him: Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the rich man heard this, he was very sad because he was very wealthy. (Luke 18:18-23).
Jesus said, no one can serve two masters. “You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13)).
LOVE OF MONEY MAY HAMPER BROTHERLY RELATIONSHIPS
The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. The rich ruler loved neither God nor neighbor enough to part with his money.
Commenting on the love of money, Jesus said, it is easier for a loaded camel to go through the eye of a needle [low and narrow gateway] than for a rich person to enter heaven. But leaving some room for hope for the person who seeks God’s help, the Lord said, nothing is impossible for God (Matthew 19:24-26; 1 John 5:14-15).
OTHER FREE BIBLE ADVICE ON DEALING WITH MONEY
- In Seeking to become rich or self-sufficient, one may forget about their soul and lose it (Parable of the Rich Fool, Luke 12:16-21).
- Riches may cause you to feel you do not need God. But the Word of God says without the Lord you can do nothing. For in him we live, move and have our being. (John 15:5; Acts 17:28).
- Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:11).
- The Bible says, “charge those who are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God” (1 Timothy 6:17).
- Wealth is fleeting (Proverbs 23:5)
The Bible says we should trust and obey the Lord who loves us enough to have died for our sins (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 3:16). And when we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, God will add all other things, including giving us eternal life in heaven with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:33).
