Wealth in the Bible – Is it Better to Save Money or Better Not to?

I invite you to read the first part of the article:

What does God say to the richer,wealthier people? (zastopujczas.pl)

„For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?” Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.” – James 2:2-8.

What conclusions can we draw from the Biblical advice on money and wealth?

1 – Be happy with what you have, don’t complain, don’t be picky.
2 – If you suspect that money can derail your life or cause your personality to change for the worse, then don’t chase it or spend all your time accumulating it. Stick to what you have.
3 – Know that not everyone can handle too much money/wealth. For some people, money can bring a sense of freedom. However, it is this negative freedom that triggers: pride, self-confidence, disregard for others, addictions, debauchery, complete derailment, family problems or breakdowns.

4 – Think, reader, how you prove yourself in various material states: in poverty, in excess, in an intermediate state. If we argue when there is no money and become proud when there is a little more, then we need to work hard on ourselves.
5 – Values ​​such as love, selflessness, help, friendship, we should show regardless of how much money we have, how much wealth we have.
6 – When rich and poor people stand next to us, in most cases the wealthier ones automatically constitute a greater value. We consider them more enterprising, intelligent, because they have more wealth.
However, for God it is not so obvious. Let us take into account the fact that wealth can be acquired in various ways: honestly or by entering into corrupt arrangements.
Someone who is poor can have an open mind to faith, can understand the teachings of Christ, and believe in the true name of God. So in other words, they can be a valuable and God-fearing person. They may have consciously rejected the possessions of this world because they wanted nothing to do with them.

7 – God does not forbid being rich. We have the examples of Abraham or Job. They were super rich people. They managed an excess of money, service and wealth. Material goods were of no greater value to them than what God offers. Read the story of Job. He was rich, then poor. In every state he remained a man who zealously served God, cared for the other person, did not exploit others.

8 – Money is important in today’s times because thanks to its possession we can create projects to spread the truth. The most important is the Biblical truth, then the truth in every other field, such as: health, history, geopolitics, etc.

Money is not to be used for selfish luxuries. We use it for our own needs, as the Scripture says: „Do not muzzle an ox while it is threshing” and „the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher thresh in hope that he will share in the harvest.” However, every person who has the gift of earning, the gift of entrepreneurship, should live in such a way as to please God:

“Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.” – Ephesians 4:28.

God gives us a valuable warning: not every person can handle too much money. It is worth taking these tips as a golden piece of advice and not chasing even more wealth.
After all, we do not know how long we will live, we do not know whether this pursuit will not end in illness, and sexual debauchery – in loneliness, the loss of valuable friends.
These Biblical tips are truly priceless.
And finally, a few words to people who disregard God’s advice:

“Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days.” – James 5:1-3.

Author: Robert Brzoza

Translator: Hubert Brzoza