Wisdom and WealthAn Overall Look at What Proverbs Has to Say About Money and Wealth
Word to the Wannabe Wise: Wisdom and Wealth: An Overall Look at What Proverbs Has to Say About Money and Wealth
Key Bible Verses
Numerous scriptures throughout the book of Proverbs that relate to money are used in the lesson below.
Digging Deeper
The book of Proverbs teaches about money and its role as we desire to be good stewards of the money God has given us. Stewardship, in the context of money management, is the responsible and ethical use of the resources God has entrusted to us.
On the positive side, Proverbs 10:22 shares that “The blessings of the Lord make rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 11:24-25 shows the contrast: "One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
So how can we become wise in managing money in a way that is honoring and pleasing to God? We can:
Express gratitude for the money God has given and for all the blessings and provisions He provides daily.
Request wisdom and guidance for managing finances, making wise decisions, and using money wisely.
Trust in God’s plan and know that He will provide for needs and guide the use of money in a way that aligns with His will.
Surrender financial worries and concerns to God and ask Him to take control and help relieve any fears or anxieties about money.
Ask for discernment to distinguish between wants and needs and the ability to prioritize spending and choices that conform with God’s will and not the world's demands and standards.
Be content and satisfied with what God has given and resist the temptation to be constantly desiring more.
Practice generosity with the money God has given, asking for a generous heart and a desire to use all resources to bless and for the good of others.
Manage and steward money in a way that honors God and benefits the future.
Ask God for protection from loving money and getting into other financial struggles.
Let us believe and have faith in God’s provision and know that He will provide for our needs in accordance with His divine will as we seek to be wise stewards of money and possessions.
What Not To Miss
What does the Bible say about money and economy?
The Main Point:
A WEALTH of WISDOM makes you WISE towards WEALTH.
Three ideas are outlined in Proverbs:
How money is viewed.
How money is generated.
How money is stewarded.
How do you view money?
Throughout the book of Proverbs, many views of money and wealth surface.
Money is power. (Proverbs 22:7)
There’s nothing inherently wrong with power. It’s how you use it. Sinful people tend to abuse power.
Money is protection. (Proverbs 10:15)
Trust in your riches, your money.
Money is popularity. (Proverbs 19:4)
Money makes “friends.”
Money is privilege. (Proverbs 13:8)
Rich people, because they have money, have privilege.
Money is pretentious. (Proverbs 13:7)
Some people pretend to be rich but they have nothing.
Money is proud. (Proverbs 28:11)
Just because someone is rich doesn’t make them an expert on everything.
Principle: The Bible warns us that people see and view money for what it can do for them. If we aren’t careful, we could begin to love money for what it can do for us. But beware: The love of money is the root of all evil.
Money, when it is ultimately viewed as the means to a self-centered end, can:
Create division between haves and have-nots: The rich and the poor.
Create unhealthy competition.
Create comparison traps and a “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality.
Give false security.
Create a dissatisfied society.
Seven things you should know about the psychology of money from UC Berkeley:
More money, less empathy.
Wealth can cloud moral judgment.
Wealth has been linked with addiction.
Money can become addictive.
Wealthy children may be more troubled.
Wealth (or the wealthy) tend to be perceived as “evil.”
Money can’t buy happiness or love.
Money is not the priority. (Proverbs 4:7; 15:16-17; 3:13-15; 11:4, 28; 14:26; 23:5; 30:8-9; 22:2)
Money and wealth are just tools in the economy of God.
God’s economy is not built upon money and the power, protection, popularity, privilege, promotion, and proudness it generates. Rather, God’s economy is founded and built upon his glory and the faithfulness of his people living for that glory.
In God’s economy, money is not the point nor the priority, but a product to be used for His glory and others’ good.
How do you generate money?
In today’s society, people like to talk about at least 7 streams of income. (Earned income, profit income, interest income, dividend income, rental income, capital gains, royalty income.)
In the book of Proverbs, there is a different list of at least 7 streams of income. (Gift, work [paycheck], loan, gambling, investing, stealing, bribery.)
Taking those 7 streams of generating money found in Proverbs, here are 7 principles:
Hungering for more money feeds the money monster and eats away at your life. (Proverbs 23:4)
The hunger for more money to do more things, have more stuff, and have more privileges sometimes costs people more than they are willing to pay.
If you feed the money monster, it will turn into a money master.
Greedy is always needy. (Proverbs 1:19; 30:15: 15:27; 28:25)
Greedy people are never satisfied. A dissatisfied life sucks the life out of you.
If you are greedy, there will never be a time where you aren’t needy.
If you are greedy, you’ll always be needy. You’ll never have enough, and thus you will hoard what you do have.
Quick money quickly goes missing. (Proverbs 13:11; 12:11; 20:21; 21:5; 28:20)
If you don’t know how to handle a little money, you won’t know how to handle a lot of money.
More money is not the solution to your problems. In fact, if you did come into more money, it probably would cause the same problems, if not more.
Borrowing money to appear rich leads to deeper poverty. (Proverbs 22:7)
We live in a finance-frenzy society.
We become enslaved to both the lender and the money.
Methods matter when making money. (Proverbs 11:18; 11:1; 10:2; 21:6; 22:16; 28:8; 28:4)
There’s nothing intrinsically or inherently wrong with money, riches, or wealth, but methods do matter in how you make and steward money.
What you put into work will be what you get out of work. (Proverbs 10:4; 6:6-11; 10:5; 12:11; 28;19; 12:24,27; 14:23; 15:19; 18:9; 27:23-26; 20:4,13; 21:5)
Work hard, not in a mediocre manner.
How do you work?
Diligence. (Keep working even if you experience thorns and thistles.)
Energy. (Show up and give it your all.)
Perspective. (As if you are working for the Lord.)
Character. (Don’t cut corners, work with integrity.)
Excellence. (Do quality work.)
Dignity. (Regardless of the kind of job.)
Humility. (Remember to think less of yourself and more of others.)
Boundaries. (Sabbath.)
Gratitude. (Thanking God for giving you what you need.)
Purpose. (For the glory of God by bringing flourishing to others and the world.)
Money is made in the short term; wealth is made in the long term. (Proverbs 13:11)
If you want to generate wealth, you need:
Delayed gratification.
Discipline.
How do you steward money?
Your viewership determines your stewardship.
Four ways Americans tend to wrongly view or steward/use money.
Live lavishly. (Proverbs 21:17:20)
Save meagerly.
Give sporadically. (Proverbs 28:22)
Invest unintentionally.
Four ways Proverbs tells us to steward our money.
1. Give generously. (Proverbs 3:9-10; 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; 29:7)
To the Lord.
To others. (poor, needy)
Tithes and offerings. (Tithing is setting apart 10% of your income to give to the Lord through a local church. An offering is anything above and beyond the tithe.)
How do we measure generosity? We measure generosity through Jesus' giving and through sacrificial giving. If your giving doesn’t lead to a cut in your living, you are not giving generously.
2. Save measurably (Proverbs 21:20; 6:6, 8)
3. Invest intentionally. (Proverbs 13:22; 31:16)
Sit down with a financial advisor.
Execute a plan.
Even if it’s a little, set it aside.
Diversify your investments.
4. Live frugally. (Proverbs 21:17; 13:7; 16:8)
Conclusion:
Could you imagine if the church would live out this economy, individually and corporately?
We would be a small city or community within a larger community or city that would embody what it meant for:
Money not to be the priority.
Money to be generated in a wise and righteous manner.
Money to be stewarded by giving generously, saving measurably, investing intentionally, and living frugally.
We would be more functional with our money and possibly even experience some element of flourishing because we would be living out the vision of God’s economy rather than some fallen, broken, flawed man’s economy.
We would have a wealth of wisdom that will help us become wise toward wealth.
Life Application
This week, look at your budget and determine where you are spending your money wisely and where you are spending it foolishly. Then, determine ways to be more conscientious and generous with the money God is giving you to steward. Think of ways you might be able to increase your monetary giving to your church so that ministry can grow and continue, give to those who are in need, and practice being generous to others in encouraging ways. Type into your device or write and post the following verses, so that you can meditate on them daily.
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10
Small Group Discussion Questions
A benefactor has designated a gift of a million dollars; you will receive $500,000, and Northland Church will also receive $500,000. How would you wisely spend your portion?
What does the Bible teach about money?
Why is it important to be generous with money?
What will happen if we disregard our obligation to God to steward our money wisely?
How do these Biblical principles from Proverbs about money apply to living in our current culture?
Daily Devotional Bible Passages
Day 1: Generosity-1 Timothy 6:18; Proverbs 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Day 2: Love of Money-Hebrews 13:5; Mathew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10
Day 3: Possessions-Matthew 19:21; 1 Timothy 6:19; Luke 12:33
Day 4: Poor-Deuteronomy 15:7; Matthew 6:2-3; Acts 4:34
Day 5: Provision-1 Timothy 6:17; Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 13:16
Prayer
Dear Lord, I come humbly before you, thanking you for the provisions that you have given me. I appreciate the gift of money and pray that you will help me use this money wisely and with your will. I recognize that money can be a temptation and can easily lead me astray, so I ask for your wisdom, protection, and strength to resist any temptations that may come my way regarding money. Help me always remember that this money is a blessing from you and should be used for your glory. Please grant me wisdom in my financial decisions. Help me to be a good steward of the resources you have entrusted to me. Guide me in budgeting, saving, and investing so I may use this money wisely and honor you with whatever money You give me. Teach me to be content with what I have and to not fall into the trap of greed or materialism. Help me be generous and give to those in need, as you have commanded. Lord, I also pray for discernment in my spending. Help me to make wise choices and not be swayed by the world's standards of success or happiness. May my heart focus on you and your kingdom rather than earthly possessions. Thank you, Lord, for your love, faithfulness, and provision. I trust in your guidance and wisdom as I seek to use the money you have given me in a way that always honors you.
