Christianity and Money

We often console our friends, with a similar or even more humble background than ours, with the words “money is not everything”. Little did we know that the word of God states that “…money is the answer for everything” (Ecclesiastes 10:19 | NIV), or maybe we knew, if so, I wonder why we shun this verse.

We have been warned, “watch out for false prophets...” (Matthew 7:15 | NIV). False prophets merely play with the context to mislead you. I can never emphasise enough the importance of context in the Bible.

Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon, a man that God gave everything from wisdom to wealth. This book contains the final reflections of the wisest men to ever live hence its value is beyond anything you can imagine.

On the verse in question, it appears God through Solomon was juxtaposing wisdom and stupidity in politics.

John Gill is of the opinion this verse is meant to show the importance of money, and to advise political leaders to refrain from careless spending of public monies and save the public funds for important circumstances such as funding the military in protecting the state from enemy attacks.

Solomon did not want the politicians to be solely motivated by money, otherwise he would have not mentioned that all is “vanity” and that everything is meaningless “under the sun”and the only source of true meaning and joy is God. (Ecclesiastes 1:14 | NIV)

Matthew Poole highlights that money during this era was funding the lavish lives of politicians. The desire of such extravagant lives steamed an uncontrollable love of money which resulted in politicians squeezing money out of their people by oppressive, and dishonourable, and dangerous practices.

Jamieson, Robert et al argues that the political leaders were taking bribes to support their extravagance. Money was the answer to everything but the reason for almost every sin committed by the greedy leaders.

My understanding is that money is good and vital for survival. The problem is replacing the power of God with money and being obsessed with money. That is dangerous and unacceptable.

We must “…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 | NIV) The words “all these things” include everything that one can buy with money and even money itself. God must come first, always! Not money.

One essayist correctly argues that “a wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.” It was never God’s wish for us to fall in love with money because “… the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” and “some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs”. (1 Timothy 6:10 | NIV)

If anyone tells you that you are broke, do not be broken, for “the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…” (Matthew 6:26 | NIV)

You are more valuable than birds, God will provide more and better for you. Do not trade your values to put food on the table and neither should you betray who you are for wealth, for “…God will meet all your needs....”. (1 Philippians 4:19 | NIV)

God is not against you making money, if anything, “…it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth...” (Deuteronomy 8:18 | NIV).