God’s Part
"Your, O Lord, is... everything that is in the heavens and the earth... who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. For we are sojourners before You, and tenants... all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours" (1 Chronicles 29:11,14-16).
Everything that is, was, or will be, is God's. The land, the oceans , the animals and creatures, His creations, Man and Woman. All things belong to Him. All Gold and Silver, and by extension, all wealth, comes from the Lord.
Everything we need is provided by Him. He fed the multitude. He gave His life for us. He provides for us in Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit. Remembering that all wealth comes from God, expressing our gratitude and understanding of God's Part, is crucial. And for each of us, it can be demonstrated through our faith, and through giving to others.
Our Part
In Genesis 1:28, the scriptures speak of our responsibility, living on this world.
"God said to them [Adam and Eve], “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28).
We are given the sacred responsibility of stewardship over this world, of caring for each other, of making a better place for others, and for our children. And for our faith we are often rewarded with blessings. Even so, we must be willing to give that which we have to the Lord, our creator. Our Part is to always remember our purpose, to abandon self serving pursuits, to remember the Teachings of our Lord. The Pure love of Christ; the act of Charity towards another. These things are vitally important for us to remember, for He who made us and gave us all that we have.
Debt
The scriptures speak clearly of debt as a state that should be avoided. We are to live debt free as much as possible in our lives.
"You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23).
We are commanded not to be the servants of others, only God. However, not all debts are avoidable. In times when debt becomes a necessity of living in this world, we should remember to repay our debts and dependencies, as God has commanded us. And when it is within our power to give to others regardless of circumstance, we should not shun our fellow man either.
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it, when you have it with you" (Proverbs 3:27-28).
Counsel
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (Proverbs 12:15).
God teaches us the importance of counsel. We do not know all things, only God does. And though our pride may sometimes get in the way, we must remember the importance of humility. Of not only listening to, but seeking out the counsel of God, and of those who stand with Him and who know much more than we do.
"Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days" (Proverbs 19:20).
However, when we refuse counsel, we put ourselves in danger. We put pride and our own selfish desires above that which is righteous.
"Now it came about after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites that he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them, and burned incense to them. Then the anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” And it came about as he was talking with him that the king said to him, “Have we appointed you as royal counselor? Stop!... the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this, and have not listened to my counsel" (2 Chronicles 25:14-16).
Let's not forget to learn and listen. It is a journey none of us on earth will ever stop traversing.
Honesty
"The Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21).
The natural state of man's behavior is that of dishonest and self-serving deeds. Dishonesty, including relative dishonesty, cares about the natural desires of the one doing the act, despite the hurt and pain it causes others.
"You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15) .
Dishonesty is related closely to this verse. In Exodus 20:15, God speaks about dishonesty in terms of taking that which is not our own. This act runs contrary to His commandments and against His teachings to us, which alongside the act of a lie for one's own benefit, may come with temporary pleasure or escape, but lead to harder, more painful consequences, spiritually and physically, in the longer term.
Giving
Mathew 19 speaks of a challenge Christ gives us, through the example of a young man who has much wealth. It states,
"Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property" (Matthew 19:21-22).
Jesus made it very clear that if we are unwilling to give that which we have to those who need it, it will be very difficult for us to make it into heaven. It is the sort of message that may be hard to take for many, just like it was then. His own disciples even questioned this, asking how, then, could anyone be saved.
With man's nature alone, we could not. However, Christ provides us a way through his teachings and example; it shows us that with God, all things are possible.
Work
Honorable work is something that God has commanded of us since before the fall. Even in the Garden of Eden, it was the responsibility of Adam and Eve to till and keep the Garden.
"Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it" (Genesis 2:15).
Living in the world after the fall, work has become more difficult. The hardships that may come do not exonerate us from doing our part, whatever that may be.
Yet not all work is created equal. It is important for us to remember that the work that God gives us, that which is in His service, is the most vital work for us to do.
"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man shall give to you" (John 6:27).
Savings and Investing
The scriptures refer to saving in a way that is perhaps not intuitive to our worldly understanding. In Luke we learn the importance of where our focus must be when saving.
"He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do; I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21).
It might be easy to lose sight of the importance of giving, amidst our rush to save and invest. Saving is only as good as it's benefit, not only to ourselves, but to our fellow man in need, and in progressing God's plan for each and every one of us. The scriptures speak of a rich man's difficulty in entering the kingdom of God, such that a Camel can more easily enter through the eye of a needle.
This is not to say that there is not a purpose in saving and investing. For example, there are multiple verses touching upon importance of inheritance, of leaving things behind for one's children.
"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children" (Proverbs 13:22).
"The Lord has greatly blessed my master [Abraham], so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and he has given him all that he has" (Genesis 24:35-36).
"Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac [his son]" (Genesis 25:5).
Ultimately however, the scriptures are extremely clear about the more evil temptations associated with the love of money.
"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9).
It is important to remember the purpose for why we save and invest, and to not lose sight of God's warnings and counsel for us as we strive to move forward, even financially.
Children
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
It is the duty if parents who bring children into this world to teach them the ways of Godliness, of His commandments, and of His guidance. There a great number of reasons for the teaching of children, but among the most includes the ability to provide; both for their own needs, as well as the needs of others. The day will come when they have families of their own, and the ways of God are the foundation they will need to live happily.
"For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him" (Luke 14:28-29).
Let's not forget the importance of a strong foundation of faith and righteous teaching, so that children can learn and grow with the strength needed to thrive.
Budgeting
Order and understanding of our monetary means is a vital part of our day-to-day survival. The scriptures highlight the importance of budgeting.
"Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the grass disappears, the new growth is seen, and the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, the lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats will bring the price of a field, and there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household, and sustenance for your maidens." (Proverbs 27:23-27).
Keeping our financial dealings in order is necessary and important. Its purpose is the stability of one's own livelihood and the needs of those that depend on it. By doing so, by ensuring we can provide for ourselves and others, we can also stay closer to God.
"For God is not a God of confusion" (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Contentment
Contentment can mean many things, but it can also be seen as keeping an attitude of gratitude. In our world, we go through trials and difficulties, but ultimately, it is good for us to be content with the many blessings that God has provided.
"If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content" (1 Timothy 6:8).
"Some soldiers were questioning him [John the Baptist], saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages”" (Luke 3:14).
Our worldly reason might seem to imply we can't gain progress in this world if we are simply content. However, the scriptures point to another way of thinking about this.
"But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment" (1 Timothy 6:6).
When we are content with our lives and grateful for what we have, God gives us a way to progress to newer, greater heights.
Coveting
The scriptures speak of coveting as an act that God strictly forbids. On many an occasion, the scriptures speak constantly of the evils of coveting that which is not yours.
"You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them [graven images], nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 7:25).
Coveting wealth, coveting those who are already married, being one who covets and plans to commit sin such as the robbing of others; all these things are seen as abominable in the sight of the Lord.
"Do not be deceived; neither fornicators... nor the covetous... shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
We should mindful not to turn our backs on the blessings and love that God gives us by coveting after the belongings and status of our neighbors and fellow man.