Today, we will discuss the relationship between worldly wealth and our spiritual life. Worldly wealth often distances us from God and hinders our spiritual growth. Our real treasure is in heaven, and everything on this earth is temporary.
Jesus warned us about hoarding material wealth. He told us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be. He taught us to be concerned about God’s kingdom and righteousness. If we do this, he will provide for all our needs.
Regarding wealth, we see an incident in the Bible where a rich young man came to Jesus and asked how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, but the young man went away sad because he had many possessions. From this story, we see that God wants us to turn our minds away from worldly wealth and be careful to obey God’s commandments.
Another incident where a widow’s donation was more acceptable to God than the donations of other rich people. Despite having a lot of money, the rich man did not give money to God from his heart. But that poor widow gave all she had to God. That widow relied completely on God because of her poverty, but the rich man relied on his wealth. God sees our hearts and the heart with which we give to God.
We should never depend on wealth. We should always depend on God and his power. Let us look at the following Bible verses that talk about worldly wealth.
Hebrews 13:5 : —
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”
Matthew 10:42 : —
“Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward”
Matthew 13:22 : —
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; the care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, he becometh unfruitful”
Matthew 19:21 : —
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go sell that thou hast, give to the poor, thou shalt have treasure in heaven: come follow me”
Matthew 19:24 : —
“Again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”
Matthew 5:3 : —
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 6:11 : —
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Matthew 6:24-25 : —
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, love the other; or else he will hold to the one, despise the other. Ye cannot serve God mammonTherefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, the body than raiment?”
Matthew 6:31-33 : —
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these thingsBut seek ye first the kingdom of God, his righteousness; all these things shall be added unto you”
Luke 12:15 : —
“He said unto them, Take heed, beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”
Luke 12:33-34 : —
“Sell that ye have, give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corruptethFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
Luke 14:33 : —
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple”
Luke 16:13 : —
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, love the other; or else he will hold to the one, despise the other. Ye cannot serve God mammon”
Luke 18:22 : —
“Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, distribute unto the poor, thou shalt have treasure in heaven: come, follow me”
Luke 3:11 : —
“He answereth saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; he that hath meat, let him do likewise”
Luke 6:20 : —
“He lifted up his eyes on his disciples, said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God”
Luke 8:14 : —
“That which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, are choked with cares riches pleasures of this life, bring no fruit to perfection”
Proverbs 11:28 : —
“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch”
Proverbs 13:11 : —
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase”
Proverbs 15:27 : —
“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live”
Proverbs 19:17 : —
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord ; that which he hath given will he pay him again”
Proverbs 22:1 : —
“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, loving favour rather than silver gold”
Proverbs 23:4-5 : —
“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdomWilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven”
Proverbs 28:20 : —
“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent”
Proverbs 30:8-9 : —
“Remove far from me vanity lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for meLest I be full, deny thee, say, Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, steal, take the name of my God in vain”
Proverbs 3:9-10 : —
“Honour the Lord with thy substance, with the firstfruits of all thine increaseSo shall thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses shall burst out with new wine”
Ecclesiastes 4:6 : —
“Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail vexation of spirit”
Ecclesiastes 5:10 : —
“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity”
Mark 8:36 : —
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, lose his own soul?”
Colossians 3:2 : —
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”
James 1:9-11 : —
“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exaltedBut the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass awayFor the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, the flower thereof falleth, the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways”
James 5:1-3 : —
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep howl for your miseries that shall come upon youYour riches are corrupted, your garments are motheatenYour gold silver is cankered; the rust of them shall be a witness against you, shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days”
Philippians 4:11-13 : —
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be contentI know both how to be abased, I know how to abound: every where in all things I am instructed both to be full to be hungry, both to abound to suffer needI can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”
Acts 20:35 : —
“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive”
Psalm 49:10 : —
“For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool the brutish person perish, leave their wealth to others”
Psalm 62:10 : —
“Trust not in oppression, become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them”
Romans 12:2 : —
“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect, will of God”
Deuteronomy 8:18 : —
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day”
Revelation 3:17 : —
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, increased with goods, have need of nothing; knowest not that thou art wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked”
Isaiah 55:2 : —
“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, eat ye that which is good, let your soul delight itself in fatness”
Haggai 2:8 : —
“The silver is mine, the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts”
Job 27:16-17 : —
“Though he heap up silver as the dust, prepare raiment as the clayHe may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, the innocent shall divide the silver”