The Bible has many things to say about mankind’s relationship with money.
Debt: Romans 13:8, which implores us to “owe nothing to anyone but to love them” often comes to mind when thinking of the Biblical verses about “owing.” Other include: “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed,” Romans 13:7. “The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives,” Psalm 37:21. “It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it,” Ecclesiastes 5:4.
Borrowing and spending: Dave Ramsey quotes one verse a lot on his Christianity-based financial advice show: “The borrower is slave to the lender,” Proverbs 22:7. Sometime Christians are borrowing for necessities, but often, they are trying to store up treasures on Earth, when we should be storing them up in heaven. As Proverbs 21:20 reminds about spending, “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.”
Lending: It is better to lend and not borrow. Consider Deuteronomy 28:12: “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but will borrow from none.”
Co-signing: The Bible warns you not to co-sign on a loan. Proverbs 17:18: “A man void of understanding striketh hands, [agrees] and becometh surety [co-signer] in the presence of his friend.” And Proverbs 22:26-27 states, “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.” Proverbs 11:15 states: “He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.” Proverbs 6:1-5: “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself.”
Responsibility: While the Bible warns against debt and has absolutely nothing positive at all to say about debt, it does not call it a sin and does not forbid debt. It does encourage us not to go into debt. God also commands us to be responsible with resources in 1 Timothy 5:8 and Luke 16:11 and to leave an inheritance in Proverbs 13:22: “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.”
Generosity: We should be generous. As Luke 6:38 teaches: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” And we must give and tithe. Malachi 3:9-10: “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.”
Greed: Notice money is not evil. It is the LOVE of money that is. 1 Timothy 6:10-11: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” Hebrews 13:5: “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’” Luke 12:15: Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Trust: It all comes down to trust. Jeremiah 17:7-8: “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Written by David Peel, a local injury lawyer who limits his law practice to being a small, personal firm, focusing on serious injury, death and disability cases and will packages. Peel Law Firm is on Highway 51 in Millington. He has been a lawyer for more than 20 years. He may be reached through peellawfirm.com, where his other articles are archived.
