Why Are You Building Wealth?

Episode 751

It’s easy to believe that having more money would fix everything—that if we just had enough, life would finally feel secure, peaceful, and even meaningful.

From lotteries to luxury ads, our world constantly tells us that more wealth is the goal. But Scripture invites us to ask a better question: not how much money do I have?—but why do I want it in the first place?

Money itself isn’t the problem. Scripture never condemns wealth. But it does warn us about the heart behind it. The late Larry Burkett, a mentor to many in biblical finance, once said there are seven reasons people pursue wealth—and six of them can lead us astray. Why? Because when money becomes our focus, it often takes the place of God.

Before we talk about how to use it, we need to ask: What’s driving us to accumulate it?

1. Conformity

Some pursue wealth simply because everyone else is. Whether from family pressure or cultural expectations, they chase money without asking if it’s what God wants.

Romans 12:2 reminds us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” God calls us to live in alignment with His Kingdom—not the world’s standards.

2. Envy

Others look at their neighbor’s lifestyle and crave the same.

Ecclesiastes 4:4 says: “All toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Envy leaves us restless—always reaching, never resting.

3. Competition

For some, wealth is a scoreboard. It’s not about having enough—it’s about having more than others.

But when competition drives us, life becomes a race, and people become obstacles. Philippians 2:3 offers a better way: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

Kingdom living doesn’t play to win—it plays to serve.

4. Ego

Many tie wealth to identity. They want to be seen as successful, admired, and important. Even their giving can become a form of self-promotion.

Paul redirects us in 1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth … but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Wealth isn’t a trophy—it’s a tool.

5. Love of Money

Some simply love money. They obsess over their accounts and fear losing it.

1 Timothy 6:10 warns: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” This isn’t about having money—it’s about being ruled by it.

6. Security

Others pursue wealth out of fear. Wealth can create the illusion of safety.

Proverbs 18:11 says: “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.”

But that security is imagined. Real peace doesn’t come from what we’ve saved, but from the One who holds us.

7. Generosity: The One Good Reason

So, what’s the one God-honoring reason to build wealth? To give it away.

Generosity flows from a heart that sees money not as a possession to protect, but as a tool to serve. Jesus summarized this in Matthew 22:37–39: “Love the Lord your God … and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Dr. Justo González notes in Teach Us to Pray that when we ask for “our daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer, it’s a communal request. If we have more than we need today, it’s not accidental—it’s providential. What’s in your hands may be God’s answer to someone else’s prayer.

St. Augustine put it this way

Published on 1 day, 7 hours ago

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