How to Manage Money:What the Bible Says About Ownership

Guest blogger: Richard L. Blake

For the introduction to this seven part series (this is part four), see 3/11/2016 post “How to Manage Money”.

A man once rushed upon John Wesley shouting, “Mr. Wesley, Mr. Wesley, something terrible has happened! Your house has burned to the ground!”

Thinking for a moment, Wesley replied, “No. The Lord’s house has burned to the ground. That means one less responsibility for me.” Wesley’s response reflected a basic reality of life—God is the owner of all things and we are simply the manager of his assets.

God’s ownership of all things is clearly expressed in many passages in the Bible. Consider these, for example:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1).

“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14).

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).

“Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me” (Job 41:11). 

“For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it” (Psalm 50:101-2).

“‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty” (Haggai 2:8).

There are many other scriptures that make this point but these are enough to convince us that we own nothing; God retains ownership of everything. That extends even to our very selves, for God says, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Not only does God own everything, He gives to us our ability to make money and determines how much of his wealth he will entrust to us:

“Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

“The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up” (1 Samuel 2:7).

Any consideration of managing money, therefore, must begin with this: God owns it all.