3 Things Christians Should Know about Faithful Wealth

According to Philippians 4:11-13, we ought to be content with what God is doing in our lives (“contentment”).

What Does Faithful Wealth Look Like?

A concise explanation of a proper Christian perspective on wealth can be found in 1 Timothy 6:6-10. “But godliness with contentment is great gain” stands in contrast to the sinful lives of false teachers and their desire for financial gain. In this brief letter, godliness is mentioned nine times as a theme.

Paul also uses contentment as a theme in other places. “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). Because he was confident that God would provide for his needs, he could live with little or a lot.

But how is godliness combined with contentment beneficial? The concept is essentially one of a significant or wonderful advantage.

Those who live their lives in a way that glorifies God and are content with what they have are spiritually strong. They can use this to get through any challenges they face in life.

Two examples of Old Testament verses that appear regarding this teaching are:

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked (Psalm 37:16).

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil (Proverbs 15:16).

Once more, the teachings of the Old Testament are connected to 1 Timothy 6:7:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21).

Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands (Ecclesiastes 5:15).

1. We Can’t Take Anything with Us

For Timothy, the concept of bringing nothing into the world was obvious. The assertion that none of our material possessions can accompany us into the afterlife stands in stark contrast to false religious ideas.

It is pointless to accumulate wealth and material possessions, particularly for the sake of the possessions themselves. When we pass away, all of those things will be gone. Matthew 6:19 emphasizes the fleeting nature of money and material possessions.

Believers are supposed to be content no matter how much money they have or how much or how little they own.

This does not mean that we should avoid prosperity or think that wealth is bad. Knowing God, on the other hand, is the source of our true happiness, not an obsession with success or wealth.

Here, in 1 Timothy 6:8, Paul continues to speak about being content where the most essential and fundamental aspects of survival are discussed. The purpose of providing these necessities was to emphasize the distinction between necessities and wealth.

Or, to use a more contemporary expression, the distinction between “wants” and “needs.” Paul talks about his own personal experience in this particular instance.

In fact, the kind of trial for which Paul declares the Christian uniquely empowered (Philippians 4:10-13) is this capacity to go through a lack of wants and even needs.

2. We Can Be Content with What We Have

The next verse emphasizes the danger of becoming excessively preoccupied with satisfying our wants rather than our needs. Those who are passionate about money or wealth succumb to temptation.

Our objective as believers ought to be to prioritize having the necessities of life and living for God rather than wealth and opulence. Throughout His years of ministry with His disciples, Jesus demonstrated this level of simplicity for Himself.

He relied on the financial support of others rather than seeking power and wealth for His teachings, sometimes even living without a home (Matthew 8:20).

The instruction in 1 Timothy 6:7 cannot be separated from this perspective. In this life, nothing is ours forever. We have nothing to begin with or end our lives with.

God does not promise or owe us success in the world. We must be content with what we have despite our best efforts to grow what God has given us.

Let me give an example, and I will use myself in this. I want to be able to preach in a church pulpit somewhere, but for some reason I cannot.

There does not seem to be a place for me currently, nor has there been for quite a while, especially since the medical crisis that has plagued the world.

Although, that issue did lead me to put God’s message into book form. Has it worked? That I do not know. I have also put articles on an online Christian magazine and sermons on a website for preachers.

However, it is not the same as being able to stand in front of a group of people and preach the Word. Am I content? I have clothes on my back, a roof over my head, a place to lay my head, and food on my table.

I believe that God has me where I am in my ministry for a reason and for a season, so I must and will wait upon Him (Proverbs 30:7-9).

3. The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil

The ninth verse talks about three things that happen to people who want wealth. To begin, although everyone is tempted in some way, wealth-seekers “fall” prey to temptation.

The desire to “get rich,” or to pursue material prosperity at any cost, is destructive. Christians, on the other hand, must resist temptation and live for Christ.

Second, people who want to be wealthy fall into a “snare” (trap). Here, Paul uses the Greek word pagida: an animal trap used to capture an animal that has been enticed by bait and is typically set with a rope or net. Like this, rich people succumbed to temptation until they fell into disaster.

Another characteristic of Christian morality and sin teaching is this: Satan frequently employs temptations to entice us away from the things we ought to be doing in order to entangle us in the repercussions of our own sin (Psalm 119:110; 2 Timothy 2:26).

The second and third points are inextricably linked. The strength of other temptations is increased when one desires wealth. The desire to cheat, steal, or lie in order to increase one’s income is one of these, though it is not specifically mentioned here.

There are numerous instances in history of people who attempted to achieve wealth through dishonesty, criminal activity, or deception. Additionally, this reaffirms a flaw in character that Paul attributed to false teachers (1 Timothy 6:4-6).

People descend into destitution and destruction by these temptations. A person’s life can be ruined and even ended prematurely by a desire for wealth. Greed can destroy physical and spiritual well-being and personal relationships.

Additionally, it may result in serious and immediate repercussions. These include getting into trouble, hurting our friends and family, and even getting retaliated against by other greedy people.

The first line of our final verse is both well-known and obscure at the same time. The adage “money is the root of all evil” is based on it and is well-known. It is unclear because the verse does not explicitly state this.

Instead, the love of money is being criticized. Success and wealth are only as good or bad as how they are used. As 1 Timothy 6:9 explains in detail, many kinds of sin are based on greed and an obsession with money.

Pantōn is the Greek word for “all” in this context. This can be used in a more non-literal sense, but it can also mean all in the sense of “every single one.” Matthew 3:5 uses the same root word to say that “all Judea” went to be baptized.

Colossians 1:6 also uses it to say that “all the world” was seeing the gospel bear fruit. The meaning appears to be more “of every kind” rather than literally “completely every individual one,” as in Matthew and Colossians.

To put it another way, the point is not that all sin is always caused by material lust. Instead, it is that a person’s love of money can lead to almost any other sin. Greed has the power to amplify, inspire, and enhance any other sin’s temptation, resulting in disaster.

Paul goes on to say that believers who are tempted by a love of money can leave a close relationship with God because of this. They frequently give up on holiness in favor of concentrating on acquiring wealth for their own benefit.

“Pierced themselves through with many sorrows” were the words of those who had already done so, Paul says. The meaning of this phrase is self-inflicted wounds.

Why Does This Matter?

So, how are we to guard our motives, live above reproach, and minister faithfully? We do this by keeping our eyes, our minds, and our hearts focused on Christ. When we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into place where it needs to be.

For further reading:

What Does the Bible Say about Money?

Did Paul Teach That 'Money Is the Root of All Evil'?

What Is the Biblical View of Christian Wealth?

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/gpointstudio

Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can contact Chris here, and check out his work here.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.