The Bible speaks a lot about money.
For starters, there are plenty of cautions about money.
In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul provides this stark caution,
“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Jesus, too, provides cautions about money. One of the most famous is in Matthew 19:16-28, where Jesus answers a rich young man’s question about how he could inherit eternal life. In the end, Jesus told him to sell his worldly possessions, give his money to the poor and follow him.
Jesus’ point wasn’t that money in itself bad. His point was that putting your identify, security and purpose in anything other than God is incompatible with following Jesus. Since it’s especially easy to find identity, security and purpose in wealth, Jesus concludes by saying, “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.”
Though there are many cautions about money, there are also examples of the positive use of wealth. For starters, there’s the beautiful story of the widow’s mite in Luke 21. There are also many examples of generosity and stewardship that run throughout Scripture.
In Luke 19, Jesus tells the story of a nobleman (likely a businessman) who gives his ten servants a minas each. He later rewards those who turn their money into profit and condemns those who don’t. A key point of this parable is that we are to steward whatever we have been given (money, talent, opportunity, etc.) for God’s purposes and glory.
As you run your business with profit as one goal, ask yourself: What cautions about money do you need to keep in mind? What’s the link in your business between profit and stewardship? What’s your approach to profit and generosity? How much is enough?
