The Holy Bible says different things about money—some of which seem quite contradictory. Paul pointedly penned that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10),1 and the Bible tells us that certain characters—such as Judas, a rich young ruler, Balaam, and many others—lost their souls because their love for money overpowered their love for God. “Take heed and beware of covetousness,” warned Jesus Christ, “for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). Pretty simple, right? Money is bad, like rotten eggs. Or is it?

It turns out that the truth is not so simple. While the Bible cautions against the love of money, it also says that “Abram [Abraham] was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2). Thus, Abraham was quite wealthy, yet he was “the friend of God” (James 2:23). Consider also faithful Job, whose “possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East” (Job 1:3). Instead of being corrupted by his wealth, God’s “servant Job” was “a blameless and upright man” (Job 1:8). Other examples of wealthy persons blessed by God are Isaac, Jacob, King Solomon, King Hezekiah, and Joseph of Arimethea.

So what’s the deal? Is money a blessing or a curse?

My personal interest in diving deeper into what the Bible teaches about money began a few years ago when I came to five sober realizations:

1. I wasn’t getting any younger. Instead, my “prime of life” days were plainly in the rearview mirror.
2. I was getting closer to paying off my home in North Idaho, which would result in more monthly cash in my pocket because I would no longer have a mortgage.
3. The organization I work for—White Horse Media—doesn’t have a retirement plan for its employees.
4. My wife, Kristin, and I have two children approaching college age. More funds would definitely be needed for their education.
5. I was the primary breadwinner for our family of four.

As I pondered these practical realities, this Bible verse came forcibly to my mind: “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

Worse than an unbeliever?! I then decided it was high time for some prayerful research about money itself, what to do with it, and how to be wise about my future. As I began my journey, two distinct Bible verses became monumental pillars in my thinking.

pillar one: “Behold, I come quickly!” (Revelation 22:7, KJV)

Jesus is who said, “Behold, I come quickly!” Though His return to our earth to gather His trusting children has been long delayed, someday “He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37). As a Seventh-day Adventist minister, I surely believe this. I also believe there is nothing more important than being spiritually prepared for that big day, and helping others to be ready too.

Some who believe pillar one have concluded: “So much for money! Why focus on something so mundane and earthy? Just focus on your spiritual life and doing missionary work, and then leave the rest with God.”

This leads me to the next pillar.

pillar two: “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13, KJV)

Jesus said, “Occupy till I come” as well. Significantly, the context of His words reveals a group of people who mistakenly “thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately” (Luke 19:11). To bring balance, the Master then told a practical parable about the importance of God’s servants using, multiplying, and even “trading” (verse 15) their Lord’s money and talents as they await His inevitable return (see verses 12–27).

In the margin of my personal Bible, the word occupy is stated to literally mean “to do business.” The point of this parable is that while we wait for our Savior’s return, we should be wise with our money and talents in His service. Yes, money can become a curse, but it can also be a tremendous blessing in the hands of God’s dedicated people.

Another biblical passage that deeply impressed me is about tiny ants. King Solomon wrote:

Go to the ant, you sluggard!

Consider her ways and be wise,

Which, having no captain,

Overseer or ruler,

Provides her supplies in the summer,

And gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you slumber, O sluggard?

When will you rise from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to sleep—

So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,

And your need like an armed man (Proverbs 6:6–11; emphasis added).

The clear biblical lesson is this: don’t be lazy. Word hard. Be wise. Plan ahead.

Ants are practical. During summer months, they gather food to subsist on during the long winter months. We might compare nature’s cycle to our earthly life. The days of our youth are like spring. Then comes summer, when we can work with full productivity. During our fall years, we begin winding down. Finally, winter arrives, which can be compared to our retirement years.

In the summer, ants work diligently and prepare for winter. So should we. If we don’t, Solomon’s warning is crystal clear: “So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (verse 11)! In other words, for lazy people who don’t plan ahead, poverty will steadily creep closer and closer, until their need finally overwhelms them “like an armed man” who attacks without mercy.

After reflecting on Solomon’s admonition to learn from ants, the truth became clear to me that it is wise to prepare for my future days, should time last long enough.

I kept praying and studying the Bible.

money and the Ten Commandments

I teach the Ten Commandments, I thought to myself one day. I wonder if God’s law contains any insights about personal finance? So I opened my Bible to Exodus 20 and was amazed at what I found, especially in the fourth commandment. God wrote with His own finger:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

Let’s dissect this. “Remember the Sabbath day” (verse 8) draws our minds back to Creation week, when God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day (see Genesis 1:1–2:3). But before God rested, He worked, setting an example for us, which is why the fourth commandment also tells us, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (verse 9). This lays the foundation for earning an income. “If anyone will not work,” wrote Paul, “neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

The Bible condemns laziness. We were not created to become proverbial “couch potatoes.” Instead, we are to be productive and to earn an income. But on the seventh day, we should rest and do no work, just like God rested. This also applies to any son or daughter we might give birth to (Exodus 20:10). Good parents should not only provide for their children but also teach them the value of honest labor to earn their own income. Thus, a strong work ethic will be passed on to the next generation.

The fourth commandment continues “Nor your male servant, nor your female servant” (verse 10). Umm, I thought to myself. The more I reflected, the more I realized that male and female servants weren’t slaves, but employees. Thus, financially responsible people not only work, earn, and save but might eventually use some of their means to hire others to work for them. In Bible days, male servants often worked the land, while female servants often helped in the house. When a working man wisely accumulates enough money to hire others, he is definitely moving farther away from poverty.

But there’s more. “Nor your cattle,” God said (verse 10). In Bible days, sheep, goats, cows, oxen, donkeys, and camels were assets that slowly built a man’s wealth in the form of wool, milk, food, clothing, muscle, and even transportation. Donkeys were like cars. Camels were like Teslas. The more assets a man accumulated, the greater his wealth. Thus, the biblical principles are: work, earn, save, possibly hire others, and then build assets, so when your winter months arrive when you can no longer work, your assets will provide for you. In a sense, such assets were like social security or a good retirement plan. Believe it or not, these wise principles are now being taught worldwide by today’s most respected financial experts. Pretty amazing, don’t you think?

But there’s even more.

“Nor your stranger who is within your gates” (verse 10). Here’s a key point. Financially wise people don’t slowly build wealth primarily for selfish reasons. Instead, they understand that their Creator, the Author of the fourth commandment, is the Supreme Giver who “gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25; emphasis added). Wanting to become more like their Maker, they welcome the stranger onto their property, give him food and clothing from their crops and four-legged assets, teach him about God’s love and laws, and perhaps give him a job so he can get on his feet, work, earn, save, repeat the process, and then have his own means to give to others.

True fourth-commandment keepers also won’t be so easily tempted by Satan to break the eighth or tenth commandments, which forbid stealing and coveting (see Ephesians 4:27, 28). Why not? Simply because, through making wise financial decisions with God’s help, they now have their own things, and thus doesn’t need to steal or covet what others have.

What a marvelous plan, don’t you think?

In my research, I also realized that financially responsible people faithfully return their tithes and offerings (see Malachi 3:10) to help advance God’s work in the world. The more they earn, the more they can give, which not only helps clothe the naked and feed the hungry but also helps bring more lost sinners into the saving knowledge of God’s love and grace.

Wow, I thought to myself, that’s a lot of valuable information in the pages of God’s book! After learning these powerful principles, I felt convicted to write my own online course to teach them to others. It’s called “Grow Your Money With God.”2

So is money good or bad? The biblical answer is this: that depends on how we earn it, what we do with it, and what it does to us. As for me, my goal is to be a faithful steward of my time, talents, influence, and money for Jesus Christ’s glory, and to help others.

I wil “occupy” until He comes.