When most Christians think about the Bible and money , we probably think of the passages that warn us about its dangers. For example, Paul wrote to his young protégé, Timothy:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 (CSB)
Notice that it’s “the love of money” — not money itself — that Paul cautions us against. Later in that same chapter, he encourages us to have a favorable view of money.
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share, storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (CSB)
Paul teaches us four powerful lessons about money in these verses.
Money is part of God’s provision; like all his provisions, it is a good thing and has been given to us to enjoy. Paul sounds a lot like the author of Ecclesiastes:
Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God… Ecclesiastes 5:19 (CSB)
The Bible teaches that sin has pervasively corrupted this world and human nature, leaving us prone to prideful self-reliance and selfishness. It has even impacted the nature of money and wealth.
Paul tells us that wealth is “uncertain.” We all know that wealth can come and go, but God’s good gift has also become something we can twist and abuse for our purposes. We can hoard it, worship it or sacrifice other good things from God to get it.
But God, in his grace, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the corruption of sin through his death on the cross and resurrection. As a result, Jesus changes everything — including how we engage our wealth and financial resources! Once more, they become provisions of God to be enjoyed.
Paul also tells us that money is to be employed in the service of the Lord. In the hands of Christians, money is a tool to be used for good. God intends us to steward it carefully and use it generously to multiply Kingdom impact.
God gives us wealth to enjoy and employ for him!
Finally, Paul knows that the joys and struggles of wealth today (our fallen and sinful “present age”) can blind us to the reality of eternity (our glorious and perfect “coming age”). Our true life begins in eternity, but in the meantime, we are free to enjoy and employ wealth on this earth in light of the coming restoration of all things under Christ. Our goal as good stewards of all things God has given us is to hear the Master say, “Well done!”
As Christ's followers, we are responsible for stewarding all we've been given and fostering wellness in all aspects of our lives so we can serve him wholeheartedly.
At GuideStone, we believe a critical part of this is cultivating financial security and resilience.
Using our faith-based investing strategies , we provide churches, ministries, faith-aligned institutions and Christian households with financial solutions that support our shared biblical values — equipping you to lead a resilient life and advance the Kingdom of God.
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