Skip to content 
Many Christians struggle with the question of wealth. Is it wrong to desire riches? Does God frown on prosperity? Sadly, a lot of us grew up hearing statements that paint wealth as worldly, carnal, or even sinful—not just from our homes, but also from our churches. But the truth of Scripture is this: God is not against us being rich. No! What God’s word addresses is how we get wealth, how we use it, and whether our hearts belong to Him.
Let’s start by dispelling an erroneous widely held perception about money.
Money is not evil!
One widely held belief about money, but which is far from the truth, is that money is evil. This stems from the misreading of a Bible’s text—1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The Bible never says, “Money is the root of all evil.” That results from not paying attention to details. The Bible in no place casts money in a bad light as evil. Rather, it teaches that, if received with the right heart, money can be a great blessing. The problem with money is actually a problem with the humans who handle it. Look at the Amplified rendering of 1 Timothy 6:10:
“For the love of money [that is, the greedy desire for it and the willingness to gain it unethically] is a root of all sorts of evil…”
Wealth, and a desire for it, is not evil. God is the source of wealth! God Himself laid the foundation for humanity’s prosperity. There is an oft-overlooked scripture in Genesis 2:10-12:
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.
God put riches in the earth for the prosperity of all humans. Poverty in the world is not God-made; it is human-made—through our greed and wickedness. The Bible teaches that riches come from God. The theology of some opposes this. But a Bible’s truth is true, whether or not we agree with it. Our disagreement doesn’t nullify any biblical truth. Agreeing with the Bible’s truths is only to our profit. David said, in 1 Chronicles 29:12:
“Both riches and honour come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
God gives riches! He said to Solomon, in 1 Kings 3:12-13:
12 Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.
Friends, God gives riches! Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:19:
“As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God.”
Let’s stop the bad theology that God doesn’t have anything to do with riches; that riches come only by hard work and smartness. Is it everyone who works hard that is rich? Is it everyone who is smart that is rich? The answer to both questions is no! Again, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9:11:
“I realised another thing: that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do not always win the battles. The wise do not always earn a living, intelligent people do not always get rich, and capable people do not always rise to high positions. Bad luck happens to everyone.” [GNT]
You see, until we accept the truth that God makes rich, we will not be able to believe God for riches. Eliazar, Abraham’s servant, said about his master:
“The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.”
If we truly believe that all Scriptures are given by God’s inspiration, then we should not have problems believing Proverbs 10:12, which says, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”
Relating to the Whole of God
Some use only the New Testament to push their idea of what God’s plan is for believers. But that is wrong and dangerous. Because it pushes a part view of God, not a holistic view. If we stay only in the New Testament, we will think that all that God can do and wants to do is to save people from sins and heal their diseases.
But God can do more than just save and heal. He can also bless. He can also raise up. Now, these aspects of God’s doings abound in the Old Testament. The New Testament has a singular focus—to reveal God’s ultimate and greatest plan for man, which is salvation through Christ. Thus, most other aspects of God’s doings were not displayed in that section. Not even a gutter was parted in the New Testament. Did God lose His sea-parting ability? No! It is because redemption from sin was the focus in the New Testament.
But, as believers, we must not stay and run with a partial view of God. We must strive to lay hold of His whole revelation. It is the only way that we can enjoy the whole of God.
Wealth With a Purpose
Truly, there are extreme teachings on prosperity in parts of the body of Christ, which have fuelled greed and materialism in some believers. And it should be addressed. But we must be careful not to create another error in a bid to correct an error—to totally deny that God blesses. Rather, we should teach it correctly as the Bible teaches it—that God blesses and that His blessings have purpose.
Biblical riches have a purpose. It is indeed to be a tool in our hands, to support the course of the gospel, care for the poor, and uplift our communities. Biblical prosperity is never selfish. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. He said to Abraham, “I will bless you… and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). Riches are dangerous only when they control us or are used for self-glory.
While Scripture warns against greed and materialism, nowhere does it glorify poverty. The Bible never presents poverty as evidence of righteousness or as proof of sin. In fact, Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” God’s blessing uplifts, provides, and positions us to live fruitful lives—not to remain in constant lack.
God Doesn’t Want Riches to Own Us
While God is not against us owning riches, He is against our riches owning us. In 1 Timothy 6:17–18, Apostle Paul charged Timothy—his son in the faith—to warn Christians who are rich not to be proud nor to put their hope in their riches but in God, to be generous and willing to share. God’s concern is never wealth itself—it’s the heart condition of those who handle it. Believers must handle riches with a deep sense of gratitude, humility, and stewardship.
Conclusion
God is not against you being rich. Psalm 35:27 says that He delights in the prosperity of His children. What matters is that your wealth aligns with His will—acquired through means which He approves and used to bring glory to Him. Riches can be a mighty tool in your hands when your heart is right with God first.
Riches are not evil. Otherwise, why will God give it? As believers, this must be our opinion. We speak only according to the Bible. Riches are of God. And the child of God can desire and believe for it. So don’t be afraid to dream big, work hard, and build wealth. As long as God remains your priority, your riches will not ruin you—they will bless you and many others.
