The Bible is filled with advice on all kinds of subjects—including many we might not expect. For example, you don’t have to search the Scriptures long before you start seeing Bible verses about finances.
That’s because God cares about every area of our lives, including our money and stewardship. He knows that if we can understand finances from a biblical perspective, we can find contentment and purpose in life. Even more importantly, we can glorify Him by living out the truths found in the Bible concerning finances. What’s more, as a dad, you have a responsibility to disciple your family in money matters, just like every other spiritual discipline in life. They won’t learn about God’s perspective on money by accident. You’ve got to be intentional about embracing it yourself and passing it on to them.
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“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
Stewardship and Money
Admittedly, stewardship is not a word we think about very often. In fact, it might feel a bit archaic. About the only time we hear it is when we’re talking about the environment or our church is launching a campaign to eliminate debt.
So, let’s replace it with a term we might understand better: asset manager. That’s really what stewardship is all about. As you come to understand finances from a biblical perspective, you realize that we’re called to manage (steward) His resources for His glory. So, focusing on Bible verses about finances is really more about using God’s stuff well than worrying about our stuff—because all of our stuff is really His stuff anyway!
Understanding Finances from a Biblical Perspective
I was raised in the house of an accountant, and I also spent several years working for a company that uses biblical principles to help people with money trouble. So, I know my way around Bible verses about finances. But, even with my background, it never hurts to reflect on what the Bible says about stewardship and money.
The list below identifies 10 key Bible verses about finances. They’re a sample of what God has to say about the subject in His Word. They’re also a great place to start your own deep dive into understanding finances from a biblical perspective.
Psalm 24:1
“The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord”
For me, this is the foundational Bible verse about finances. Everything belongs to God. He owns it all, which means everything we have is a gift from Him. He gives us the chance to be His “asset managers,” so we need to handle His resources with care.
Proverbs 22:7
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender”
We live in a culture built on debt, so it’s easy to blow it off and move to the next subject. But while we might think debt provides freedom, it really places us in bondage. We carry the weight of payments and past-due notices like a ball and chain. And we can’t do what we want with our money because so much of it goes to our lenders. Debt is not an unforgivable sin by any means, but it’s not our friend either.
Matthew 25:21
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy’”
Jesus once told a story about an owner who gave three servants various amounts to invest. Two of the guys did things the right way. The other made a poor choice. But here’s the thing: The owner held all three of them accountable for what they had received. One important key to understanding finances from a biblical perspective is understanding that we’ll all be judged for the quality of our stewardship.
2 Corinthians 8:3-5
“I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord, they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will”
We’ve already said that everything belongs to God, but the most important thing we can give back to God is our lives. When Paul told the Corinthians about the generous spirit of the Macedonians, he was thrilled by their financial offerings. But he was even more excited about their personal commitment to Christ. Biblical stewardship means putting God first. Once God has that, other things tend to fall into place.
2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver”
Bible verses that cover money and finances show a lot of different aspects of stewardship and money. But all of them are grounded in the basic principle of “cheerful giving.” God doesn’t want you to approach giving with a grudge. He wants you to give with a joyful heart, not holding anything back. After all, you can’t really be generous if you’re just checking a box on a spiritual “to-do” list.
1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs”
God makes it clear that money is not evil in itself. It’s neutral and can be used for good or evil, depending on our hearts. But the love of money—the consuming drive to get more simply for the sake of having more—is sinful. Plus, it spins off into other kinds of sins, as well. The Bible is filled with stories of wealthy people like Abraham, Job, David, and Barnabas. But each of them were men of character and kept stewardship and money in its proper perspective.
1 Timothy 6:17
“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy”
Some Bible verses about finances provide serious warnings about handling money the wrong way. This is one of those verses. While money has a place in this life, it has nothing to do with the next life. Wealth is uncertain, but a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is a sure thing!
Ecclesiastes 11:2
“Give a portion to seven or even to eight, for you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth”
You’ve probably heard the old maxim against putting all your eggs in one basket. You may not have known that it was Solomon’s way of helping you understand finances from a biblical perspective. When investing, spread your money in different kinds of financial vehicles. That way, if one goes down, another might stay steady or even go up. This passage also supports the idea of living on a budget, placing your money in proper categories to cover the expenses you’ll face from month to month.
Proverbs 13:11
“Wealth obtained by fraud will dwindle, but whoever earns it through labor will multiply it”
I used to tell my kids that there was no such thing as a bad honest day’s work. If you earned your paycheck, you can be proud of that. In contrast, fraud and “get rich quick” schemes are trouble. As we said, everything we have belongs to God, and looking for the “easy way” is usually no way to steward His resources. Better to earn your money through hard work than wasting it on pipe dreams that have little—if any—hope of materializing.
Psalms 37:25
“I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread”
For many years, this has been more to me than just a Bible verse about finances. It’s been a promise of God’s provision. As the son of a righteous father, I believe God will always meet my needs. As a man who stands righteous through the blood of Jesus, I believe He will honor the spiritual and financial legacy I want to build for future generations. This isn’t prosperity theology. It’s a conviction that God will honor those who honor Him with their resources.
Follow God’s Example
Whenever I get the chance to teach about finances from a biblical perspective, I always mention that I plan to retire a millionaire. Sometimes, that shocks my audience because they’ve never thought about stewardship and money from a Christian perspective. But I follow it up by reminding them that to use our money for God’s glory, we’ve got to have some. So I budget, save, and invest now so I’ll have plenty to share later.
That’s the spirit of these and other Bible verses about finances. We acknowledge God as the ultimate Giver—the One who gave His only Son—and we seek to follow His example. As we dig into His Word and learn how to handle finances from a biblical perspective, we’ll experience benefits that touch this world and the next.
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