God & Money: A Power Struggle

How do we relate to money here on earth?

Photo by christopher lemercier on Unsplash

Christians are weird about money.

It’s one of the most interesting things I have ever seen and is probably why I feel so confused about it on a regular basis.

There are so many mixed messages on the topic of money that the most devout will start mudslinging the moment the topic is brought up.

And so, many Christians refuse to talk about it. The many, who are probably as confused as I am at times, stay away from this power struggle over money.

But, I cannot stay silent.

I need to talk about it. And I would love to get some input from people (in a civil manner please). Throughout this article, I would love for you to leave comments and highlights below.

In this article, I want to share what I have experienced. Then, I will share the two sides that I have seen. Then, I will attempt to explore a possible Kingdom grounds for it.

Most of all, I want to create a space to have the conversation and to learn. For all of us. Not just the confused. But for those who have convictions or think they have some answers.

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My Experience with God & Money

I grew up in a hardworking, blue collar environment. Money wasn’t talked about much. And it definitely wasn’t a topic of conversation unless you were part of the church trusties or church board.

Giving was essential. But there was no conversation on the tithe or how much or if it mattered at all. It was simply a place where God & Money stayed behind closed doors.

This is probably why I am so confused about it. No one really talked about it and I didn’t know where to ask questions and find great answers. Heck, find any answers.

I grew up and started learning from other people.

Over time, I started discovering two camps of people when it came to God and Money. These two camps appear to be at odds over what they value and what they communicate to the church.

One side elevated money. The other side tried to demonize it. One side would share about all the good things that God discusses with money. And the other side would share all the bad things that come from money.

In the end, I stayed confused. Who was right? Who was wrong? Does it even matter? Nevertheless, I stayed in this place of confusion and continue to this day to try and figure it out.

But, let’s talk about these two sides…

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Two Sides We See in Church about God & Money

To this day, there is plenty of division in the church over lots of things. And money is definitely one of them. But it is interesting because it does seem to be a strange linear structure to the two camps.

I am going to share a little about what I have seen about the extreme camps that I have encountered and how they create confusion next. This isn’t an attack on anyone, it’s sharing what I have experienced.

Prosperity Gospel Christians

The prosperity gospel, in Protestant Christianity, the teaching that faith — expressed through positive thoughts, positive declarations, and donations to the church — draws health, wealth, and happiness into believers’ lives. — Britannica

Yes, this seems to be the most commonly known Christian groups when it comes to God & Money. These are the ones that have confused me because its all about positive thinking, focus, and chasing after money.

Often, we see that it has to do with tithing to the church and that what you give increases what you get (which there are Bible verses to support this). This is also the group who seem to exert power and control over people and situations because they are financially able to do so.

For anyone who is poor, this group leaves a bad taste in your mouth. For anyone who is rich, this group feels like a nice place to be. And everyone in between will easy feel the chase to be in this group of Christians.

Poverty Gospel Christians

The poverty gospel teaches that having material possessions is evil, rich people are ungodly and that self-denial is a means to earn righteousness in God’s eyes. — Crown Financial Ministries

This is a group I have come across who straight up will tell you that having nice things, having money is sinful. That money is evil. And that we should not try to accumulate it.

I have found some of the most scornful people in this group. Many of them go beyond self-denial but see anyone who has a lot of money as partnering with the devil.

When I have come across these folks, it makes it easy to not care if I am poor, don’t have a lot of money, or that this is simply my lot in life. And I know this has trapped a lot of Christians to stay in poor (financially and otherwise) situations.

Extremes Create Confusion

These extremes create a ton of confusion for the majority of the church. It creates so many questions:

• Is money bad?

• Does God want us to be rich or poor?

• Is it okay to have nice things?

These are just a few questions lots of people might ask themselves. In fact, I’d love to hear what questions pop into your head when reading about the groups above.

And while I know the extremes are extremes, I also know the answer is likely somewhere in the middle.

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How are We Supposed to Relate to Money

A significant portion of your life will revolve around earning, saving, giving, and spending money. So your relationship with money isn’t something you can just brush aside as unspiritual or unnecessary. — Jesse Wisnewski, Tithe.ly

I think this quote is an important place to start. No matter who you are, money plays a role in our lives. We work, we make money. We eat and buy clothes with money. We pay rent or a mortgage or whatever else with money.

Money is part of our lives whether we like it or not.

So, how are we suppose to relate to it. What is the church called to do about money and with money?

If we can figure these things out and then have a right, Godly, and Kingdom focus about money, we can experience better clarity with how we connect with God and Money.

And so, I want to share some things I have learned about God & Money and maybe it will be helpful for you too. (The things I have learned are from research I did when I first started this article.)

God has a lot to say about money.

In fact, the Bible talks a ton about money, possessions, prosperity, wealth, poverty, and more. There are well over 2,000 verses on money and possessions in the Bible and even Jesus talks about it a lot.

Jesus typically taught in parables-and 11 of His 40 parables were about money or used money as a way to teach us spiritual truths. — Jesus Film Project

If the Bible talks about money a lot and eve Jesus teaches on parables that involve money, there must be an important message for us to understand. And it isn’t about being polar opposites and trying to convince people to join a side.

Where do we start?

Who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 
 — 1 Timothy 4:3–5

Everything is created by God.

Which means, anything we create, comes from what God created. When I consider this, it reminds me that while money is a system created here on earth, the idea of exchanging goods and services within a system are likely given to us by God.

But, it everything is God’s, even money, then he can give and take it as he sees fit. Most of all, if it is his, then we are only given it to steward or manage.

So, no matter how much we have or how little we have, there is a responsibility to learn to manage it and to apply what we learn and manage money in a way that would be pleasing to God.

Now, Jesus does talk about this reality…

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30)

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 
 — Matthew 25:14–15

In this parable, the man who has three servants gives these servants different amounts dependent on the ability to handle the money they are given.

Two of the three servants go out and double their money. The third servant, out of fear, digs a whole and buries the money for the time when the master comes back.

When the master comes back, he rewards the two servants who multiplied what they were put in charge of and condemns the one who acted out of fear.

Near the end of the passage we learn:

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. — Matthew 25:29

This isn’t he only place we read this parable. There is also an account of it in the Gospel of Luke.

The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11–27)

He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’’ 
 — Luke 19:12–13

Again, we see that a master is going away and he puts his servants in charge of money. But in this passage, he tells them specifically to put the money to work.

As the story goes on, different servants put the money to work, multiplying it just like the other parable. Some 10x the money, some 5x it, and another sits on the money and does nothing.

When the master comes back, he rewards the ones who multiply what he gave them and condemns the one who did nothing with what he was given. And just like the previous story this one ends with this verse:

“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. — Luke 19:26

A Call to Manage what God has Given

After reading these two verses, there are three things that stick out to me:

1. There is a call to manage what God has given.

2. God wants us to multiple what he has given.

3. He doesn’t want us to live out of fear and do nothing with what he has given.

If these three things are true, increasing wealth is not bad. It is actually very good to increase the wealth you have been put in charge of in life. No matter how big or how small.

So, if money is given to us and we care called to increase it because this is what it means to manage God’s money in the Kingdom of God then we know that more money and wealth isn’t bad.

However…

What is Given to Us to Manage will be Returned to God

This is where tithing and giving comes in to the mix. In both parables, the master gives the servants money to manage. When the master returns, he takes the money plus the multiplied amount back.

The managers of the funds multiply the funds and then return the funds to the master. And I believe this is true for us as followers of God. We are given money, property, and wealth to manage.

And when we grow it, we give it back to the Lord, the master. And this looks a lot of different ways. And is an entirely new topic to dive into when it comes to God and money.

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Final Thoughts on How We are to Relate Money

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Money isn’t bad. God gives us money, wealth, and possessions to steward and manage in order to multiply them. And once we have done that, we give back to God what is his. And then, I believe we are to do it over and over again.

Warning: Guard Your Heart Against Greed

This is where things get messy. When we consider this cycle of God and Money, we need to remember to guard our hearts. It can be easy to want to follow the ‘formula’ to acquire money, wealth, and riches.

But that isn’t why we are doing this. We are doing this out of obedience to God. We must have a heart that stewards what God gives us out of obedience instead of out of selfish desire or greed.

When we can do this well, and with a righteous heart, we will see our entire lives change. We see it again and again and again. People receive, the grow it and give it back to God, and God blesses them with more.

But, when people try to manipulate God and how he works when it comes to money, things start to turn out poorly for them. If our heart isn’t right, and we make money a master or an idol:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. — Matthew 6:24

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 
 — Colossians 3:5

When we replace him with money, that is when we start running into trouble. We no longer serve God and we are no long focused on God when that happens.

Yet, when we have money in it’s right place and we are obediently living with how we steward what we have, God can begin to work in amazing ways in our lives and the lives of people around us.

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J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who writes about faith and writing books. He has self-published 5 bible study devotionals on Amazon, check them out below:

• The Gospel of Matthew

• The Gospel of Mark

• The Gospel of John

• The Book of Proverbs

• Breakthrough Prayer (NEW BOOK!)