Many people take one or two scriptures out of context and use them to discourage Christians from being financially wise and to convince them that being poor makes you more “Christ-like”. As I began to research this topic, I started with the two verses people use most to discourage the pursuit of wealth.
SCRIPTURES USED TO DISCOURAGE THE PURSUIT OF PROSPERITY
Mark 19:24 (KJV): “And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” What some people fail to mention, however, is verse 26 where it says “but Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
The next scripture is 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) where it reads “For the love of money is the root of all evil…” For starters, the full verse reads “For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” To view this verse in it’s proper context, however, you must read 1 Timothy 6:9: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men and destruction and perdition.” Verse 11 states God’s plee: “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
THE TRUTH ABOUT WEALTH IN THE BIBLE
Reading more into these scriptures pointed out a glaring issue I’ve realized is affecting people’s personal finances. Many times we simply take what people say as truth and fail to take the time to research for ourselves. This causes many people to get burned by money schemes and tricks from people who “seem” to know what they’re talking about.
God lets us know He is the giver of wealth. Below are just a few verses backing this:
Psalm 112:1 – 3
Deuteronomy 8:18
2 Chronicles 1:12
IS BEING BROKE MORE "CHRIST-LIKE"?
If you are living paycheck to paycheck and accumulating more debt than you can afford, you’re like the steward in Luke 16:1 – 2 who was removed from his role because he was financially irresponsible.
Dave Ramsey probably explained it best in his best seller Financial Peace. Money is amoral. Meaning money has no morals. So it is neither good, nor bad. Therefore, simply being wealthy does not make you bad or spiritually superior. And neither does being poor mean you are good or spiritually inferior. It is up to the individual to use money in a way that is pleasing in God's sight.
This blog is designed to provide you with helpful tips and strategies to build and manage wealth. If you notice, the aforementioned two verses that people typically use to discourage the wealthy don’t even refer to wealth but instead only refer to being rich. There is a major difference. My next blog will address this difference. Let me know what you think about the Bible and money, below.
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