The Biblical World View of Money
What does the Bible say about money? God knows how obsessed we are with money because He gave us 2350 scripture verses about money in the Bible. In Mathew 6:19–21 we find God searches our hearts to determine what we think is important concerning how we manage His provisions.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasures is, there your heart will be also (Mathew 6:19–21 NKJV).
You are not alone in your concerns about how much money one needs to retire and live a lifestyle commensurate with their desires. Actually, your questions and concerns are very common in today’s secular world. I make this distinction because I want to change the narrative and give you something to ponder concerning perspective. Let me share a short story.
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.” “Tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog, and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us. They have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks Dad, for showing me how poor we are.” (author unknown)
Now, let’s look at a Biblical perspective of money and change the questions. Who owns everything?
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1, NKJV).
If God owns everything, then we are just stewards of His property. Our concerns are now with managing God’s resources in a manner pleasing to Him. This is called “Good Stewardship”. Second, how much is enough? Can we find a place in God’s provisions where we are completely content with no desire for more?
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV).
To do this, we must first acknowledge and recognize our psychological desires for materialism, social status, and envy. The secular world widely adopts these powerful feelings. Jesus said:
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Mathew 6:33 NKJV).
I recently watched the movie “The Blind” which tells the story of Phil and Kay Robertson. They have a powerful story to tell. Phil Robertson finally accepts Jesus into his life because a pastor expresses to him we no longer need to struggle to climb the mountain. After all, God comes down the mountain to meet us where we are. God accepts us without our constant struggles to earn recognition. Therefore, we can remove the burden of this struggle from our lives. Having an eternal perspective, a Biblical worldview, allows me to be content with what I have. I highly recommend the movie.
Finally, is the next steward chosen and prepared? Once we learn and practice God’s money plan for us, we must pass on this wisdom to our successors. For instance, an eternal perspective allows me to be content with what I have. God owns it all; therefore, I am a steward, and giving generously allows us to break the power of money. These fundamental transferable concepts need to be passed from one generation to another. It is our responsibility to first discover and accept these transferable concepts as the genuine desires of God. Then we can teach them to our heirs.
I want to leave you with a few questions to consider:
1. What would it take for you to be content with your financial situation
2. What is your current perspective concerning money management
3. Have you considered what goals you would like to pursue related to your financial situation
Your faithful servant