25 Bible Verses About Money

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They say “money makes the world go round” but, what truly matters is what the Bible says about this. A person can have plenty of money while others may struggle to have a little of it. Nevertheless, we question how money is utilized and to what purpose is one’s money worth. A study on money in correlation to a person’s thinking and behavior was conducted. The results revealed that money does affect how a person acts and emphasizes with other people. If it is so influential, we must be able to know what the Bible reveals about this. Therefore, here are some lessons we can get from the different Bible verses about money.

The Bible Tells Us Not To Serve Money

Generally, money has a negative ring around it. For the sake of attaining or maintaining money, others purposely abandon their humanity and commit selfish acts. Others can also treat money as the center of their lives which should not be the case. The Bible verses about money tell us to never serve money for it will become our idol, something we depend on other than depending on God. While we do need it to live in a comfortable lifestyle, we should know our limits when it comes to our fondness for money.

•  Exodus 20:23 “Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” 
• 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
• Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Bible verses about money shown above depict the tendency of a person to feel almighty and high because of possessing money. In many cases, people tend to indulge in corruption and evil because of their excessive adoration of money. When we start becoming selfish towards others because we cling into the slightest possibility of getting rich, this is the sign that our love for money has taken over our devotion to God. Serving God while honoring money will never go side by side.

• 1 Timothy 6:9 “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
• Luke 12:15 “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
• Proverbs 10:2 “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
• 1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Greed is one of the seven mortal sins, an offense that has an immense correlation to money. This is very dangerous because when we let money take over our lives, we become hungry and blind without ever finding a cure. As what movies portray, most characters who are insanely rich are those who live terrible and sad lives. The reason behind is simple; money can never be an alternative to the comfort and peace only God can give. Greedy people think that the more they get, the happier they’d become. But at nights when it is dark and their hearts are empty, these people are the ones in poverty.

• Proverbs 23:5 “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”
• Ecclesiastes 5:10 “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”
• Proverbs 11:4 “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”
• Proverbs 16:8 “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.”

These Bible verses about money tell us a lesson that money is temporary. After pulling cash from our wallet, it’s gone forever.  We can never bring money when we meet God. So, the question is really for us to answer; are we going to dwell greatly on something that does not guarantee anything and is highly temporary, or are we going to choose the eternal inheritance the Lord offers us for free?

Money and Humility

Bible verses about money teach us how we should spend our money. Greed towards money is lethal so, we should approach our wealth with the virtue of humility. As much as possible, let us not treat money as the center of our lives. We should never choose money over the people around us. While we can purchase material things with an extra buck in our pockets, the family and friends God has blessed us with cannot be bought. They are a precious gift that no amount of money can afford.

• Proverbs 30:8 “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
• Job 42:10 “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.“
• Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.”
• 1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
• Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
• Psalm 119:14 “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.“.

Additionally, Bible verses about money tell us about how we can use our wealth to honor God as everything good that we have now is from Him. Having money is not a sin. But it is also not an excuse to be selfish. Actually, Money is one of God’s many blessings, he gives it to us to help others, for us the spread His love. Therefore, when we have it, no matter how much, we should not forget God. When an artist paints a ravishing picture, do museums complement the canvas with the paint or the artist who created it?

• Psalm 62:10 “if riches increase, do not set your heart on them”
• Luke 16:14 “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

Another virtue that humility gives us is clarity. When we humble ourselves, our hearts do not settle for measly material things. An aspect we should answer is whether or not we are humble with the wealth God gives us. If we understand that money does not equate eternity and when we appreciate things that aren’t from the shelves of the malls around us then, we are spending our money correctly.

• Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10  “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” …Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong”. 
• 1 Corinthians 13:3 “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.“

The Bible also tells us to not live lavishly but, in moderation. We show our gratitude to God when we understand that He is sufficient for us to feel secure, satisfied, and joyous. Also, we should live simply; purchasing items that are too luxurious can separate us from the opportunity to help other people. Another way of practicing humility is by acts of charity. Our hearts should always remember that we can be somebody’s blessing.

The Bible Tells Us To Use Money For The Good

The Bible uncovers a very important lesson which is how we can use wealth as an opportunity to help others. The world has thousands if not billions of people who wish to live the lives we have today. There are people with empty stomachs and vacant wallets, people with no shelter to keep them warm in the winter or cool in the Summer. However, if we try to learn what the Bible tells us about wealth, we can have a clearer take on how many lives we can help change for the better.

1 John 3:17

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”

The verse above shares a meaningful and timely message for all generations. With the emerging adoration for luxury today, people can easily close their eyes as they look towards expensive things that shine. If generosity is rare in our hearts and if we share no empathy for those in need despite having full pockets, the presence of God becomes less clear. Therefore, as much as we can, we can always practice generosity. If the God we serve and love abundantly blesses us daily with life’s blissful gifts, shouldn’t we do the same?

• Psalm 37:21 “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.”
• Romans 13:7 “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; honor, then honor.” 

Photo from Abel Tan Jun Yang

Corruption towards the needy and the weak is really a big and horrid issue. It is because of money that many become selfish and heartless. One of the biggest lessons money teaches us is that it is not the aspect that describes us. Lur riches do not define who we are. Generosity, humility, faith, and love for God are some of the many virtues that truly matter. Being rich is a privilege, not a virtue. We should detach ourselves from the concept and the fear of being not rich because it’s just a condition, it’s not who we are.

These Bible verses about money definitely open our eyes and warm our hearts regarding how we choose to spend our wealth. Again, we should not fixate ourselves in something as temporary as cash. Instead, if we have this, we should be using this blessing to be a blessing ourselves. Outside the length of our wallets, we have the sound of the birds, the laughter of our friends, the hugs of our families, the gratitude of the people, and the everlasting love of the Lord.  Money is nothing compared to these things.