MONEY
Money is not an invention of God, but of humans. While money in the form of gold and other precious metals initially served as a practical means of exchange, it has now become by far the most influential means of exercising power and control. Money makes people dependent on one another and leads to greed and envy. The greed for wealth and power is the primary cause of war, poverty, and injustice in the world. Almost the entire global economy is now geared toward consumption and profit generation, with sometimes dramatic consequences for people and nature. Statistically speaking, money is distributed very unequally around the world. While 1 to 10% of people own over 90% of the world's real available money supply, 90 to 99% of people have to share less than 10%. While a few live in lavish luxury, many suffer hunger and deprivation every day. While some fly to the moon for billions of dollars, others struggle for mere survival....
Great wealth makes people greedy and avaricious. You always want more and yet never get enough. Furthermore, money tempts people to become corrupted and to bend the law. It is not for nothing that the Bible describes the love of money as the root of all evil. Undoubtedly, money holds a central place in many people's lives. For some, material wealth is their god. For this reason, greed is equated in the Holy Scriptures with idolatry, which drives people away from the true God and corrupts them spiritually and morally. Even though God does not condemn wealth in principle, rich people have a hard time entering the kingdom of God. The reason for this is that their hearts are often more attached to their wealth than to God. On the other hand, figures like Abraham, Job, and King David, about whom we read in the Holy Scriptures, demonstrate that one can be humble and God-fearing despite great wealth.
God wants people neither to accumulate excessive possessions nor to waste their financial resources for vain or selfish purposes, but rather to use them in His way and for the benefit of others. Money should primarily be used to earn a living and to provide for loved ones and the needy. Because God Himself is kind, He is pleased when we humans are generous and share our possessions with others. Jesus says that true joy lies in giving (rather than taking). This means: The more generous someone is, the more blessings they bring both to their fellow human beings and to themselves.
Furthermore, the Bible describes contentment as a great gain. Those who voluntarily forgo wealth and limit themselves to the bare necessities can use more of their money for good causes. Moreover, it gives us freedom, independence, and contentment. God is the one who always provides us with everything we need to live. In this respect, no one is dependent on money or their possessions, but solely on God. God promises that He will not let anyone who remains faithful to Him starve. Furthermore, God can always provide for any need. At the same time, God gives all who trust in Him the strength to overcome challenges and still be a blessing to others.
Jesus calls everyone to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. This means good works done out of selfless love that benefit others. This, in turn, is rewarded by God. Material wealth is uncertain and fleeting. Moreover, no one can take anything from this world with them. Likewise, no one can buy eternal life with money. We can only receive this through faith in Jesus. Although Jesus himself lived in relatively poor circumstances on earth, he had a fulfilling life. His wealth lay in his fellowship with God, his Father. This circumstance should serve as an example for us, so that we too can place our complete trust in God, regardless of our financial situation.
It can be assumed that there will be no more money in the world to come, which God promises to all who love him. Instead, all people will live in peace and abundance forever and ever.
The Lord sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but He thwarts the craving of the wicked.
The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? (...) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
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.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
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.”
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 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. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
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. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
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?