简体中文 
English 
The Bible has many verses on money, perhaps more than you expect. In the Four Gospels, about one out of every ten verses are related to money — all 288 of them! In the 38 stories told by Jesus, there are 16 of them that are about wealth. So it is obvious that money matters.
But how to manage money wisely and accordingly to biblical principles? What specific actions can we take? This is a vast topic, but I want to approach it by talking about three things, from the broadest to the more specific:
-
Attitude: As a Christian, what attitude and mindset should we have towards earthly wealth?
-
Principles: What rules and principles can we hold on to in managingwealth?
-
Plan: What specific plans to draw and follow?
Let us begin by discussing what the right attitude should be in managing money.
A Steward Attitude
First of all, we are the stewards, not the owners, of earthly wealth. Everything we have belong to God. As Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.”
You may think you ‘own’ something, but when we die, nothing we take away and everything we give up. During the our transient being on the earth, God gives us an opportunity to be a good steward of worldly possessions.
Poverty is Not a Virtue; Wealth Not a Vice.
The Bible never extols poverty as a virtue. Instead, we have verses like this:“The poor are shunned by all their relatives– how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.” (Proverbs 19:7)
The Bible does not equate wealth with evil either. Instead, it is our attitude towards wealth that determines goodness or not. 1 Timothy 6:10 says: “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.”
Therefore wealth itself is neutral, or amoral.
Money and Success are the Sneakiest of all “Counterfeit Gods”
If money or success themselves are neither good or bad, why does the Bible have so many verses on money? Why such emphasis?
In the book Counterfeit God, Timothy Keller offers an insightful perspective. He notes that there are many “idols” in the world, i.e., things are viewed as more important and ultimate than God — talent, youth, power, parents’ endorsements, etc.. But among all the idols, money and success are the sneakiest. Many sins such as murder or stealing, once committed, are known and felt by the actors. But personal success and achievement tend to incite in us a sense that we ourselves are god. Very often we are worshipping money and success without even realizing it!
To this end, 1 John 2: 16 offers a good dose of admonition: “For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world.” Let us not confuse the temporary with the eternal, the humble with the exalted.
Next time, we will talk about the parable of the Shrew Manager in 1 Luke.
*Professor MC Lee is Joseph McDonald Professor of Accounting at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
Editor’s note: You can read 250 Bible verses about money here.