MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY...MONEY!
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There is a great value and virtue in working hard, earning money, and managing it well without waste. But our money is not for ourselves alone. The Bible calls us to be generous. We belong to God and, therefore, all we have belongs to Him. We are to earn, use, and manage our money wisely, but our money is ultimately for His glory. We express our trust in Him and further His kingdom by meeting the needs of others.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
You may have heard this story. A little boy had two dollars; one was for the offering at church and the other was for buying candy after church. As he approached the church building, the boy dropped one of the dollar bills and watched, helpless, as it wafted straight into a storm drain.
The boy looked up to heaven and said, “Lord, there goes Your dollar!”
We may laugh at this story. Unfortunately, many Christians dole out their giving with much the same attitude. We’re often guilty of taking our “fair share” before we even think of giving back to the Lord or to others. By nature we are takers, not givers. That’s because our sin nature leans toward greed, not generosity.
Thankfully, we don’t have to remain in our natural state. The Holy Spirit can transform us from the inside out, opening our hearts—and our wallets—to be a channel of God’s grace to the world around us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Proverbs 11:23-29
23 The
desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in
wrath.
24 One
person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes
to poverty.
25 A
generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
26
People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one
who is willing to sell.
27
Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.
28
Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a
green leaf.
29
Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will
be servant to the wise.
Grain (v. 26)—In an agrarian society, hoarding wealth involved food and other tangible possessions, rather than cash or currency.
Proverbs 11:23-26
In this passage, Solomon highlighted one of Scripture’s great paradoxical truths: those who give will have all they need, but those who hold on to what they have will lose it. This mindset is the exact opposite of our practical, logical way of thinking. Even so, Jesus agreed with Solomon: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Jesus reminded His followers, and us, that their standard of giving would dictate what they received in return. If we give freely and generously, then our Father will measure back to us freely and generously. But if we close our hands to the poor and hold tightly to what we have, we’ll often find ourselves in need. The apostle Paul reiterated this truth in his letter to the Corinthians: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6).
The principle behind each of these passages is generosity—a readiness to give. When we recognize all God has given on our behalf (see John 3:16), it should compel us to give freely and generously to others. Let me give three more reasons we should be generous:
- All we have belongs to God (see Deut. 10:14; 1 Tim. 6:7). Recognizing the true ownership of all we have enables us to hold finances, possessions, and talents loosely—because ultimately none of it belongs to us.
- All we have is a gift of grace from God (see 2 Cor. 9:8-11; Jas. 1:17). Not only is God the owner of all, but He is also the giver of all. All that we have received is a gift of His grace. Therefore, we don’t need anyone or anything else to meet our needs. He is more than enough!
- Giving is an act of worship (see Matt. 6:21; Luke 21:1-4). If we’re not givers, we’re not worshipers. It doesn’t matter how loud we sing or how often we raise our hands. True worshipers are generous givers. Our giving is an outward expression of our inward praise, obedience to the Word, and recognition of our full dependence upon God.
What moves you to
be generous?
The great theologian Martin Luther once made a profound statement about stewardship: “I have held many things in my hands and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”Luther was highlighting an important truth: either we manage our finances and possessions—or they will manage us. Our assets can quickly become liabilities when they grab hold of our hearts, strangling our contentment and peace with God. When we place our trust in our material wealth, whether great or small, we’re more likely to hoard what we have. But when we trust God and seek to live in His righteousness, we begin to recognize that all we have is from Him. Just as importantly, we desire more and more to use our riches and possessions in ways that honor Him.
In Proverbs 11, Solomon warned about the danger of trusting in riches. The word “trusts” in verse 28 carries the idea of confidence and security without fear. However, we cannot find that sort of confidence by putting our trust in riches. Solomon said those who misplace their trust in that way will ultimately fall.
On the other hand, the God of the universe is completely trustworthy and reliable. The righteous trust Him and acknowledge their total dependence on Him (see Jer. 17:7-8). As a result, Solomon said they “will flourish like a green leaf” (Prov. 11:28). Figuratively, they will break forth, bud, and blossom.
A common adage tells us to “bloom where you’re planted.” Scripture teaches that blooming is the result of trusting in God!
Solomon also warned against bringing “troubles” on your household. When you honor God and seek to do good with all He has entrusted to you, it follows that you will seek to obtain money by honest means. As Paul described the characteristics of new life in Christ in Ephesians 4, he wrote: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Eph. 4:28).
Here’s a question that needs answering: Why are believers often willing to trust God with their marriages, families, career paths, and ultimately their eternal salvation—yet they balk when it comes to trusting God with their finances? I believe it’s because we’ve bought into the lie of the enemy that money is the path to abundant living. The Bible teaches the opposite: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). When we live according to God’s Word, we find the path of favor, growth, and abundant life.
With all of its purchasing power, money cannot secure the deepest needs of the heart. Only Jesus satisfies fully and faithfully. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33).
Rather than striving to accumulate wealth or working earnestly for temporary things, the focus of any believer should be on that which is eternal. We ought to be generously investing in the lives of others—even to the point of sacrificially giving what it feels like we can’t spare.
What do we stand to gain when we submit to the Bible’s
teaching about money?
LIVE IT OUT
What steps can you take this week to invest in the lives of others? Consider the following suggestions:
- Keep focused. Write Proverbs 11:24 on a card or sturdy piece of paper, then place it in your purse or wallet—somewhere you’re likely to encounter it as you make spending decisions. Allow God’s Word to shape how you respond to the needs of others.
- Give back. Be generous in a tangible way this week by helping someone in need who cannot pay you back. Leave an oversized tip, take a homeless person for a meal, donate something you still use, and so on.
- Give together. Work with the members of your group to pool your resources together and do something big for a family with a need in your church or community.
We’ve all been that little boy at times—”Lord, I want something for myself more than I want to give back to You.” That’s a childish way of thinking, but there’s good news. The more we intentionally invest our resources in the lives of others, the more we grow into mature disciples of Jesus Christ.
Teacher Notes:
Opie's Charity
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Do you consider yourself a conservative or a liberal?
- When it comes to giving, liberal giving ought to characterize the follower of Jesus.
- Christianity is a religion of giving. Christians are givers. Why? God is a giver. God has given us victory, peace, hope, life, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, strength, health, wealth, honor, power, love, a heart to know Him, songs in the night, joy in the morning, answers to prayer, food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, rest to the weary, eternal life, living water, a new birth, the crown of life, the light of heaven, the Word of God, and, His greatest gift, His Son.
- And we, His children, are never more like God than when we give. Have some of us become so conservative that we are no longer liberal in our giving?
God calls us to use what we have to invest in the lives of others.
I. Contrast in Lifestyles
Proverbs 11:23 (NIV) The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
Proverbs 11:27 (NIV) He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.
What determines the destiny of the righteous and the wicked?
- The desire and hope of the person - what they wish for, what they pursue
What’s the benefit of seeking good?
- Righteousness and goodwill
What is the outcome of living an evil and troubled lifestyle?
- Wrath, anger of others, and trouble
You’ve heard the old saying: “If you’re looking for trouble, you’ll certainly find it”
- the person wants to make trouble
- he/she is living with a “chip on their shoulder”
- they have the attitude that if someone crosses them just a little bit, they will retaliate
- they act like they are aching for a fight
How does our culture hope for wickedness or search for evil?
- it sells newspapers and attracts people to the news programs
- they want to see badness in others, contrasting with their own lives … proves they are not so bad, so they must be good
- attracted to scary movies for the thrill
How can we desire righteousness and seek good?
- look for ways to compliment others
- act with kindness, even if the other person is unkind or even mean
- help someone without being asked
- pray for folks who are unkind to you
- Jesus said in Luke 6:34 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great.
Now, this lesson is about money and how we use it.
How does this desire of righteousness and seeking good affect our attitudes towards our money?
- often times doing good involves spending money
- we learn to be more generous
- changes our attitude towards giving
II. Be Generous
Proverbs 11:24-26 (NIV) 24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. 26 People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.
What is the paradox of verse 24?
- being generous and helping others, increases our net worth
- being a hoarder or being stingy, ends up in poverty
- those who give will have all they need, but those who hold on to what they have will lose it.
- “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6).
What promise is given to the generous in verse 25?
- God will prosper you
- If you help others (refresh them), you will be refreshed or helped or blessed
Let’s restate these verses by contrasting generosity and of stinginess.
Results of generosity
- You gain more than you give
- You prosper, you will be refreshed
- You receive blessings
Results of being stingy
- Come to poverty
- You get cursed by others
- You are not a popular person
Why would people “curse the man who hoards grain”?
- he refuses to share or sell it
- he is hoping for a higher price when it becomes scarce
- he is hoping for a higher price when demand increases … they curse him because it will cost them more
How might a person, business or church that gives generously be enriched?
- God prospers their efforts
- God protects them from many adverse events
- God gives joy and peace as you depend on Him (not your riches) - they are a witness and an encouragement to others
- God’s name is lifted up … God is blessed
Does having limited resources effect my generosity?
- no mention of generosity being only for the rich
- it is just as hard for a person at any level of prosperity to part with money (especially if they are new to the concept of tithing)
- you learn by being faithful with small amounts – then you are able to still be faithful as God prospers you
What does our generosity say to those who do not know Christ?
- we are not so self-centered
- we demonstrate Christ’s love – we offer blessings with no expectation of reciprocity
- we are interested in them, in their needs – just like Christ is
- when we then offer a gospel witness, they are more likely to listen
III. Honor God with Your Money
Proverbs 11:28-29 (NIV) Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. 29 He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
What is the result of trusting in money?
- you will “fall”
- stock market goes up and down …
- inflation will decrease the value of your “riches”
- you aren’t trusting in God … not living by faith
According to these verses, what is the outcome of living an evil and troubled lifestyle?
- it affects not only you, but your family as well - consider those who are addicted to gambling or involved in substance abuse … their family suffers greatly, in fact, often the family members need counseling as much as the person who is addicted
- you end up being a servant/slave to the wise - high credit card debt is a good example … paying the minimum causes you to end up paying double over the life of the debt
What is another promise given to the righteous?
- will thrive like a green leaf - sufficiency
How do we change the mentality we pick up from our materialistic culture?
- confess to God how easily you have been fooled by advertisements and an attitude of “spend, spend, spend”
- read, study, meditate on God’s Truth … true joy and satisfaction come from knowing God
Here are three reasons why we should give money generously.
1. The benefit of generosity (vv. 24-25).
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
These verses present the superabundant return on generosity. Picture someone spraying water on others on a hot, dry day with the cool spray coming back on them. That’s the benefit. A physics law says there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action. God’s reaction to our generosity is never equal. God does not benefit givers in equal proportions, but far, far more. When it comes to a return on giving God is not fair. He is more than generous. God promises not to give an equal exchange but a return that is super-abundant, bigger and better.
- This promise is found throughout scripture. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
- God said through the prophet Malachi: “‘Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,’ says the LORD of Hosts. ‘See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure’” (Mal. 3:10).
- R. G. LeTourneau, inventor of earthmoving machines, gave away 90 percent of his income. But the money came in faster than he could give it away. LeTourneau once said, “I shovel it out and God shovels it back—but God has a bigger shovel.”
2. The blessing of generosity (vv. 26-27).
26 People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. 27 Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.
- Curses come to those who hoard. Obscenities will be uttered toward those who are stingy. Evil comes to those who look for trouble. Blasphemy comes to those who do not give to ones in need. One wonders if the Apostle John had this proverb in mind when he wrote about sharing what one has with others in need. “If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him?”(1 John 3:17).
- Blessings, on the other hand, come to those who are generous. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed. The one who helps others is graciously helped. The one who is good is lavishly favored.
Giving primes the pump for God’s generosity. Throughout scripture a correlation exists between our generosity with this world’s resources and the blessings of God both in this life and the life to come. We don’t give because we want to get something in return. We give because we have already gotten it. We are so blessed already, there is no way in the world we would ever be able to repay it. We give out of gratitude for the unbelievable blessings that we have. We give to show our love for God who has given us so many good and precious gifts. We give as a tangible fulfillment of our responsibility to love and to help others. We give for the rewards that are promised when we seek God’s kingdom to expand.
Solomon emphasized this truth: “Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor” (Proverbs 14:21 ESV). If we are generous toward others, God will heap blessings on us.
We want blessings not curses.
3. The belief of generosity (vv. 28-29).
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. 29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
The generous person believes that God will take care of them. They do not trust in money, but rather they have staked their conviction on God’s care of them.
Every day we make a choice: Will we trust our money or will we trust God? If we trust our riches we are more apt to hoard our wealth. If we trust God we are more apt to be generous.
If we trust God—that faith—yields two rewards from these verses:
A. We will flourish. Solomon says we will flourish like foliage on a tree. As the leaves spring forth providing shade in the summer then turn the beautiful shades of autumn in the fall, so will our lives display righteousness, a life that benefits man and honors God. The one who is not generous, trusting in his riches, will not flourish. They “will inherit the wind” or be left with nothing or something that cannot be grasped.
Generous people flourish.
B. We will be wise. The wise heart is the generous heart. George Bailey in the movie it’s a Wonderful Life had given of his time, resources, and money time and time again to the citizens of Bedford Falls. When he was on the brink of destitution, they came to his aid, following his example, and gave to him. Because he was wise in giving, he was paid back when he needed it most. Giving generously heaps far more rewards than miserly hoarding what we have. Give money generously.
Here’s a question that needs answering: Why are believers often willing to trust God with their marriages, families, career paths, and ultimately their eternal salvation—yet they balk when it comes to trusting God with their finances?
- I believe it’s because we’ve bought into the lie of the enemy that money is the path to abundant living. The Bible teaches the opposite: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).
When we live according to God’s Word, we find the path of favor, growth, and abundant life.
Rather than striving to accumulate wealth or working earnestly for temporary things, the focus of any believer should be on that which is eternal. We ought to be generously investing in the lives of others—even to the point of sacrificially giving what it feels like we can’t spare.
This lesson brings the whole study full circle. We began with a focus on having the proper view of money – a view that looks first to God and trusts Him rather than money. We have been encouraged to manage our money wisely, to value work, and to share generously with others. We give money away for the benefit of others, trusting God to take care of us.
“I have held many things in my hands and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” – Martin Luther
Prayer of Commitment
Father, I thank You for all that I have, for I know such things are a blessing from You. Give me the spirit of generosity so I may invest those blessings in the lives of others and bring You glory. Amen.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
