What Is God's View on Money and Debt?

My wife shared with me recently a chapter from the women’s bible study she is doing on Wednesday night at our church, Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster, AL. An interesting fact noted in the book Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, is that scripture contains more references to money than to salvation. I have read the New Testament twice and can honestly say that I did not pick up on this.

Obviously God wants our attention when it comes to money and the issues surrounding money. Sixteen of the thirty-nine parables told by Jesus deal with wealth and money. It is safe to say that when the great I AM speaks out on the subject that many times during his short time on earth, He knew we would struggle when it comes to issues of money. Whether rich or poor, strong or weak, famous or not, we all struggle in this area. I keep a copy of the book Bankruptcies and Money Disasters of the Rich and Famous by Roland Gary Jones in my office that I give to clients so that they can see that people from all walks of life have difficulties with money and finances.

What You Can Do

Since dealing with money will be a constant struggle, what should we do? In addition to using common sense and planning, pray and read scripture. Here are just a few verses from Scripture:

1. “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”-1Timothy 6:10. Many of us have read or at least heard this verse before however it many times gets repeated incorrectly. Money in and of itself is not evil, but the love of money is.
2. “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 nor will I forsake you”-Hebrews 13:5. I had numerous clients tell me that buying things and going shopping made them feel better about their situation. This feeling of contentment would only last for only a short period of time and then the remorse for spending too much was overwhelming. If you look hard enough, you will find contentment with what you have and the people in your life. The days I decide to put my gratefulness above my expectations, it is a good day.
3. “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender”- Proverbs 22:7.  I see the second part of this proverb daily when meeting with clients. Being in debt is very stressful and leads to marital and family problems. My faith teaches me to help others in need. My job allows me to help people struggling with debt and I find that to be a ministry of sorts in that regard.

Money and debt is a matter of the heart, so seek advice from a trusted and experienced counselor. So if you need help, please feel free to contact us. The attorneys at Bond & Botes will be here to help.