What insights does the Bible provide regarding wealth and riches? Join me on a journey to explore the true significance of wealth and riches from a biblical perspective.
Those who are rich and wealthy are often described as having a surplus of resources, money, assets, influence, and more. In this article, I will share God’s view on riches and wealth, along with their importance in the Kingdom of God.
1. The Difference Between Riches and Wealth
First, let’s give definition to what the terms-riches and wealth-mean according to Scripture.
1.1 Riches
Riches refer to possessions, money, and precious items. Solomon was considered a rich man. He had, gold, silver, flock, chariots, fine luxurious pieces and more. 1 Kings 10:14-29 details all the resources and assets Solomon possessed.
We can define riches as having a high volume of valuable possessions. These are referred to as earthly riches because they can be measured and quantified numerically. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines riches as having abundant possessions and especially material wealth.
1.2 Wealth
The bible makes reference to spiritual riches; these are synonymous to wealth in the Kingdom of God. Spiritual riches or possessions cannot be measured nor quantified, but they are just as real as earthly riches.
Wealth, spiritual riches, can only be found in Christ. Believers are dead to themselves and alive in Christ, thus in Christ all spiritual riches and blessings are found (Ephesians 1:3).
Additionally, wealth is a spiritual reality that is not dependent on the presence or absence of physical riches defined aforementioned.
One of the tell-tale signs of being wealthy is having spiritual commodities, these include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
All these spiritual resources are from the Spirit of God; they cannot be attained through physical means. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Life in this expression refers to the life of God. God is Spirit, and His Spirit gives life. Wealth in the kingdom is measured by the prevalence of the life of God in you. Paul reflected this understanding in his prayer in Ephesians 3:19 (ESV) which reads…
“That you may be filled with the fullness of God.“
A life without God is empty and depressing. But a life with God is joyous and fulfilling. The world promises joy and peace when you amass physical possessions, luxury and valuable items. Yet these things never quench our inner most desires or fill up the eternal void in the vast spiritual chambers of our hearts.
Isn’t it striking that many of the world’s wealthiest individuals still struggle with depression, anxiety, a lack of peace, and even unkindness? In the Kingdom of God however, possessions are not a means to an end. Possessions are a byproduct of attaining the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
2. How To Cultivate a Wealthy Mindset
One of the primary reasons Jesus died on the cross was to restore humanity’s relationship with God. As a result of His crucifixion, God—through the Holy Spirit—now resides in all who believe in His Son, Jesus. This alone is the basis of a wealthy mindset: That we have been saved by the blood of Jesus, and God lives in us.
indeed, dear reader, God the Creator of heaven and earth lives in us. Physical possessions are but a grain of sand compared to what resides in us. How amazing is this truth!
Where there is the presence of God, spiritual riches abound.
Ephesians 1:3 NLT
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”
Physical resources are necessary, but they are secondary. The first priority in cultivating a wealthy mindset is to seek the Kingdom of God. This involves a life characterized by power, love, and joy in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 4:20).
3. How To know If You Are Wealthy?
One effective litmus test for assessing your wealth is to evaluate the presence of joy in your life. Joy is an indescribable feeling of contentment, fulfillment, and the absence of worries.
The degree of joy in your life is directly linked to the time you spend with God, because in the presence of God there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
Spending time with God builds faith, for faith comes by hearing the Good News about Christ (Romans 10:17). The word is filled with the wisdom and promises of God that when you tap into this knowledge and begin to believe, his will begins to manifest in your life.
Jesus spent time with God, he knew God’s promises for his life never lacked joy, love and power in the Holy Spirit. The bible recounts that Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit in Luke 10:21 and he made a prayer of thanksgiving saying:
Luke 10:22 NLT
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
In other words, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit – the fullness of God (Colossians 1:19)-therefore, the joy of the LORD was perpetually in him. Despite not having physical gold and silver like Solomon, he had everything for God had entrusted all things (including all silver and gold) unto him.
Whenever the need for silver came, the provision was also available. This is illustrated when Jesus and Peter had to pay the Temple tax in Matthew 17:24-27.
Let’s dive into the lives of other biblical figures to ascertain whether they were wealthy in the Kingdom.
3.1 Judas
Judas attained a large sum of money for agreeing to betray Jesus. The money he received failed to satisfy his innermost needs but led to sorrow, guilt and regret that culminated in suicide.
1 Timothy 6:9 NLT reads, “But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction… And Some people craving money. have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.“
Dear reader, understand that God wants to bless us with physical and spiritual resources. But there is a Kingdom method in attaining these, it is through seeking and cultivating a relationship with God, then all the physical resources we need will always be at our disposal.
Proverbs 10:22 NLT
“The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.“
This Proverbs verse highlights that God’s blessings provide physical and valuable resources with joy. Therefore, we accept God’s blessings with joy knowing that we have everything as He lives and abides in us.
3.2 The Rich Man
The biblical reference to the rich man provides further insights into the difference between riches and wealth. The young man had many possessions, and Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and follow him. But the man went away sad, for he had many possessions Matthew 19:22.
Jesus was correcting the rich man’s priorities, that Jesus should be the centre of his life not money and possessions, because the danger of money is that it can become lord over one’s life.
Moreover, Jesus was demonstrating that we should trust in him and not in our riches and possessions. Trusting in God has benefits that go beyond this life on earth, for those who trust in the Lord (John 4:14).
Proverbs 18:11 ESV
“A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.”
Jesus was breaking down a stronghold that made money the source of the rich man’s confidence and high wall of protection. Jesus was tearing down a poverty mentality in the rich man’s mind to supplant it with a wealthy mindset that comes from following him.
3.3 The Rich Tax Collector – Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector encountered Jesus, and money and possessions became secondary in his life, he committed to give half of all he owned to the poor and pay four times as much to those he had cheated in taxes (Luke 19:8). After Zacchaeus made the commitment, Jesus gave this response:
Luke 19:9 NLT
“Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown to be a true son of Abraham.”
Jesus’ response indicated that Zacchaeus had attained salvation through Jesus. As a result, Zacchaeus willingly gave up his wealth, much like Abraham, who offered a tenth of his possessions to the High Priest Melchizedek after receiving a blessing.
Furthermore, Abraham showcased his wealth and blessing in Christ by giving all the possessions he had acquired in the battle of the kings to king of Sidon, illustrating that material wealth held no power over his life (Genesis 14:21-23). Read more on this in the article called, “Find Out The Truth About Tithing.“
4. Final Remarks on Riches and Wealth
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” Everything in this context includes money, possessions, joy, peace and more.
In a different perspective, Jesus wants us to prioritize a relationship with God above everything else, to love Him (Mark 12:30) and to mirror His holiness (1 Peter 1:16).
Unfortunately, society has lost its way, pursuing wealth and accumulating material possessions in a bid to fill a void that only God’s presence can truly satisfy and fill. Jesus cautioned against this kind of lifestyle, labeling it as foolishness and stressing that our relationship with God is of utmost importance.
Luke 12:21 NLT
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Dear reader, what is the purpose of accumulating wealth and material possessions if you lack the joy to truly enjoy them? It is far better to be earthly poor and rich in Christ. Cultivate a relationship with God by prayer, meditation and studying the word, allowing Him to transform your life as He has promised to give us all that we need and more.
Psalm 37:4 NLT
“Take delight in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
5. Affirmations
As believers in Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in our union within Christ. Jesus is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12).
Therefore, since we are in Christ, we too have been made worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing.
Here are some affirmations I’ve compiled, rooted in Scripture, for you to meditate on and declare in your life. By doing so, these affirmations can develop into a strong belief system that will eventually manifest in your spiritual and physical reality.
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