For God so loved the world

Question: Does the Bible really give advice on money? —asked at “Ask a friend, ask Efren” free service available at www.personalfinance.ph and Facebook.

Answer: Practicing what the Bible preaches will make for a happy life for you both here on Earth and in the next life’s eternity. Yes, there is forever.

Part of the teachings of the Bible are on how to deal with material things as the Lord knows we need to live a mortal life. That is partly why Jesus asked the Father in John 17:15, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

The Lord knows that with wealth, man can become greedy. That is why 1 Samuel 2:7 says, “The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.”

1Timothy 6: 9-10 warns us, “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.”

How should we behave toward material wealth? 1 Timothy 6: 17-19 has this advice, “Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.”

But make no mistake about it. The Lord demands we make the most of the blessings we receive from Him. The last part of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25: 24-29) says, “Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

If we are blessed with material wealth, how should we deal with it? While the passage is about judging others, Luke 6:38 can also be applied to the material blessings we receive. It says, “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap…”

There are many more passages in the Bible on money management. But the more important thing is to know that undeserving as man was, He still gave us the greatest gift. John 13:16 say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Although there is nothing we can do to equal His gift, we should at least try to use all of our blessings for his greater glory.

May you find and, if you have already found it, keep man’s true treasure this Holy Week and beyond.