Money is a tricky thing. No matter where you live, every single person in this world needs money to survive. God knows this and promises to provide for us if we follow Him obediently. So money itself is not a bad thing. God understands that we all need it. But there is a right wrong way to view money.
The Bible says “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” 1 Timothy 6:10. It’s not money itself, it’s the love of money. Greed, chasing wealth and making money a higher goal in life than seeking God is what leads many people to destruction. You may think, “That doesn’t seem true to me, I see many rich people that seem to be doing just fine,” and that may be true of some wealthy people. Remember, it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil, not the money itself. God knows everyone’s heart. Perhaps people have been blessed with a lot of money but they haven’t made it an idol and put it before God in their lives. They are not boasting about their wealth, constantly chasing money, living in greed and thinking things can buy them happiness.
But many people in this world fall into the other category. They make the love of money a building block in their life. Satan likes to deceive people into thinking that money can buy them happiness. They think the more they have, the more fulfillment they’ll have. They think it can fill the void that only God can fill. The outcome is often turning to drugs, depression, living with extreme debt, emptiness and a frivolous existence. The other group of people chasing money won’t experience these things, they will seem outwardly “happy,” like they are just living the good life and don’t have a care in the world. For many, it feeds their ego. This is a deception of Satan. It is his way of making them fell self-sufficient and content to live a life without God in it. They don’t see the error of this lifestyle and the grim end that the Bible tells us is coming for everyone who denies Jesus as Savior.
There is a right way to view money: as a provision from God, something we work for and are rewarded with from God to provide for us and help us survive, something we can give generously and cheerfully to help others, something we should thank God for and ask God for when we need more or are facing an emergency (like a health issue or huge home repair that requires more money).
Hearing what God says about money directly in His Word can help you navigate the right way to handle and view money in your life. The Bible talks about laziness vs. hard work, debt, greed, lusting after money, God’s provision, His ability to give, what we should do when we are anxious about our finances, etc. Here are some Bible verses about money:
If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18
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. Matthew 6:24
A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:4
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
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. 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. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. Proverbs 13:4
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
An idle person will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15
And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Mark 4:19
Do not toil to acquire wealth. Proverbs 23:4
“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.” Luke 12:15
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread. Proverbs 12:11
The wicked borrows but does not pay back. Psalm 37:21
The borrower is the slave of the lender. Proverbs 22:7
Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ for your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. 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. Proverbs 23:4-5
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce. Proverbs 3:9
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Proverbs 21:20
If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10
Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. Proverbs 23:4
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.” Luke 16:14
The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He exalts. 1 Samuel 2:7
Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household. Proverbs 15:27
Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Be content with your wages. Luke 3:14
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf. Proverbs 11:28
Do not set your hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:4
The Lord will open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. Deuteronomy 28:12
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 nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. James 5:1-6