Proverbs 23.4-5
“Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”
There are a number of proverbs that advocate hard work and tell us that prosperity will come to those who are wise and diligent in their work (3:9–10; 10:22; 14:24). But as is true in life, and reflected in the book of Proverbs, it is possible to take a principle out of context and do great damage.
For example, is fire a good thing? Well, too much fire and you burn. Too little fire and you freeze. Right amount of fire and you can cook your food and warm your house.
Is water a good thing? Well, too much water and you drown. Too little water and you dehydrate. Right amount of water and you’re OK.
A principle message of the book of Proverbs is that in order to live an effective and productive life, wisdom is needed to avoid the extremes of life. That includes our attitude toward money.
> Be wise in your mindset toward money. Don’t let money become an idol. Wealth should never be the goal. The goal is effectiveness and fruitfulness. The same holds true for your mindset toward position and power. Don’t be greedy for power. In the kingdom of God, the purpose for position and power is to serve others, not self.
Here is the kingdom mindset about money: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
> Be wise in how you acquire money. Have a strong work ethic, and do your work with integrity. Work hard and don’t cheat! The same holds true for position and power. Be wise about how you acquire your position in life. Work hard and do the right things to earn it.
“Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.” (Proverbs 1.19)
“Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 10.2)
> See money for what it is: Simply a tool to be used for supporting your family, helping others, contributing to society, and getting things done as an agent of the kingdom.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6.19-21)
Jesus’ message is this: Your heart directs your life, and what you treasure directs your heart. Therefore, what you treasure directs your life. Therefore, make sure you treasure the right things.
To “treasure” something is to assign value to it. In order to “guard our heart with all vigilance,” we must assign the right value to the right things. We get in trouble if we treasure the wrong things, or we assign the wrong value to the right things. Again—and I keep repeating it because it is so important—what we need is discernment (which is awareness) and discipline (which is action).
This core message is written all over the book of Proverbs.
Money is a helpful example for guarding your heart. Money is a good thing, but only if you assign the proper value to it. You need money to buy food, clothing, a place to live, a car, fishing gear, etc.. If you have extra money you can use it as a safety net for your family, as well as to help and support the needs of others. That’s assigning the right value to money.
However, if you value money too much — if you assign the wrong value to it — then you begin to focus on it too much. You allow your identity to become attached to how much money you have (or don’t have). You will be tempted to compromise your values in an attempt to acquire more money. You will spend your money on the wrong things. You will begin to value money more than you value other people and their needs.
The central question is this: Is money a tool that you use wisely, or is it a treasure that you pursue selfishly?
The “guard your heart” principle should be applied to everything in your life. Again, what you treasure directs your heart, and your heart directs your life. Therefore, what you treasure directs your life. Guard your heart, and choose your treasure wisely.
