Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.”
A wise man once said, “Being wealthy isn’t a sin because Abraham, David and Solomon would be sinners. However, the love of money is, so know the difference between having money and loving money.” Biblical wealth means, “to have enough to meet your needs, an inheritance for your children and extra to help others in need.” On one hand, we may not always have this kind of wealth. For many it will take a lifetime of hard work, financial planning and dedication. On the other hand, King Solomon reminds us to remember that it is the Lord’s blessing that brings us wealth. We should pray and expect to have wealth in this life; whether it comes easy or not. Though most will have to work hard for it, the Lord promises He will remove the “painful toil” that is found in stress, anxiety and worry.
You’re not the source of your talents and abilities; God is. Your worldview as a Christians should always be centered around the fact that everything exists because of God. Your wealth belongs and comes from God; and when you become wealthy His way, He promises you’ll be too blessed to be stressed.
The sinner may also have wealth, but because they are self-deceived and believe it’s by their own doing, they will be condemned in hell for the sin of greed and idolatry. The rich can no more create wealth than they can create the brain cells they use to think with. Nor can they even account for the matter and space-time that the entire universe exists within. The wicked’s wealth is temporary but ours is eternal. Funny but true, we get the wicked’s wealth too in the world to come- so either way they lose. Solomon confirmed this in Proverbs 13:22, “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”
When Jesus taught his disciples about the number one competing “master” that opposes the one true Master, He didn’t mention Buddha, Krishna or Zeus. Jesus said the biggest competitor for man’s heart is “money.” In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Someone might respond and say, “I don’t love money. I work hard to provide for my family and I don’t feel I owe God or anyone else anything. It’s my money and I can use it however I want.” What this person doesn’t understand is that their selfishness is rooted in their own pride because they feel they can make money without God. However, God is the one who actually gave them the ability to begin with. Plus, the help they give their family is selfish because their wealth is only for “their family.” They’re only motivated to help people that they love and neglect God’s command to help others (Matthew 5:46).
In the end the lesson is simple, God’s blessing brings wealth without trouble, whereas the greed of the ungodly will destroy them. Choose to seek God and His blessing in all you do and you will have more than enough!
Reflection
Action
- Examine your heart and repent of any greed or selfishness you may have.
- Seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness so that His blessings will bring wealth without trouble.
- Obey God’s commands, work hard, be a giver, and have faith that one day you will achieve your financial goals.
