Not Too Much, Not Too Little

First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

Proverbs 30:8

MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY ARE confused about money. On the one hand, there’s the prosperity gospel that says that God wants to make us wildly rich based on our faith. On the other hand, some seem to think that money is always evil and that having little of it makes one more spiritual. Neither extreme is true.

The Scriptures offer a more nuanced view of money and possessions. The accumulation of wealth isn’t viewed in Scripture as something necessarily immoral but often as the reward for hard work, ingenuity, and risk taking. And yet the prophets, Jesus, and Paul warned the rich against finding ultimate security and happiness in their prosperity.

Proverbs 30:8 strikes the proper balance: “Give me neither poverty nor riches!” Paul echoes this refrain in preaching contentment in every financial season (Philippians 4:12). Wealth acquired through hard work is considered a blessing (Proverbs 13:11) as long as the rich man realizes that the source of his ingenuity and strength is God and not himself (Luke 16:19-31).

Ultimately, it’s not our money that God is after, but our hearts. The American Dream of financial security is no substitute for God as the object of our worship. The antidote for some may be radical lifestyle changes. For others, it may mean reordering some priorities to make sure that God is first.

BOTTOM LINE

A biblical view of money rejects both the prosperity gospel and the poverty gospel.

Moment of Strength: Ecclesiastes 5:10