A Christian view of wealth
Is Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 for Christians? What about verses like Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 6:24, and Luke 12:33-34? Is 1 Timothy 6:17-19 a summary of how Christians can both enjoy earthly blessings as well as store up for heavenly blessings? Is everyone under a test from God, then, as to how we will use our earthly blessings with the reward being heavenly blessings? This is my reasoning, but I just want to confirm that my reasoning is biblically correct. Thank you and God bless.
Yes, those words from Ecclesiastes 5 apply to Christians. Christians recognize that God is the source of all their blessings. In his wisdom and love God bestows earthly blessings upon his children. God’s gifts are good and perfect (James 1:17), and his children can receive them with thanksgiving and enjoyment (1 Timothy 4:4-5).
If God chooses to lavish earthly blessings on his children, those gifts too are good and perfect. Earthly wealth in and of itself is not evil. Earthly wealth becomes a problem when people value it more than God. That is a message of God’s first commandment.
While Christians are appreciative of God’s earthly blessings to them, they recognize how much more important God’s spiritual blessings to them are. The soul is much more important than the body. Jesus highlighted that truth when he asked: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26) The title of one of our hymns can go a long way in answering those questions: “Take the world, but give me Jesus” (CW 355).
When we consider the temptations that both poverty and wealth can pose, we can appreciate this request made to God: “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread” (Proverbs 30:8). Contentment with God’s earthly blessings is a secret we all need to learn (Philippians 4:12).
Finally, God does promise to bless faithful usage of the possessions he has entrusted to us (e.g., Luke 19:11-27). Those blessings are extra evidences of his love—going beyond his gifts of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.