What The Preacher Said About Money

One reason I love the scriptures is how it completely encapsulates the issues of life; bringing in the wisdom of God on areas of high importance. One of such areas is your financial life.

When I mentioned ‘the preacher’ in the above subject, who came to your mind? Hope the part of your flesh that enjoys gossip wasn’t awakened by the subject; thinking I was referring to a Nigerian preacher?

Well, I was referring to the person the Bible really referred to as ‘The Preacher’. He authored a book in the Bible called ‘Ecclesiastes’.

Ecclesiastes is a book of the Bible so loaded, yet hardly read by people. Though it speaks about vanities, the book itself is not vanity! It teaches the salient truth of what becomes of men when they decide to live life without God in focus. Among other areas covered, are the areas of financial desire, discernment and development.

Before you intend to position your life towards a crave and chase for money, you need to know what ‘the preacher’ said about money! So what did he say?

Turn to Ecclesiates chapter 5 and pick the FIVE MAIN TRUTHS ABOUT MONEY BEFORE YOU START CHASING IT!

Ready to explore? Let’s go! (Eccl 5:10-15)

• The more money you HAVE, the more money you WANT.

‘He that loveth silver shall NOT be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

• The more money you HAVE, the more money you SPEND

‘When goods increase, they are INCREASED THAT EAT them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?’ (Ecclesiastes 5:11)

Hmm…quite interesting right? We still have three more truths to learn from the preacher.

• The more money you HAVE, the more you WORRY

‘The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will NOT suffer him to sleep.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

• The more money you HAVE, the more money you LOSE

‘There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their HURT. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is NOTHING in his hand.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:13-14)

and finally:

• The more money you HAVE, the more you LEAVE BEHIND

‘ As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take NOTHING of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. .’ (Ecclesiastes 5:14)

Wow!

Is the Bible contemporary or what?

The importance of the above truth cannot be over-emphasized in today’s culture. People run after money not knowing the trail of it and the route of its map.

When we decide to chase money without God, we will soon find out that life is filled with vanities and we are just engaging in a rat race.

Now please get this: The only answer to the pending cycle of unfulfillment as envisaged by ‘the Preacher’ for a money-seeking believer is called GENEROSITY!

‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, READY to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, THAT THEY MAY LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE.’ (1Tim 6:17-19).

Generosity moves you from the consequences of earthly corruption to the compensations of eternal celebration.

Bible generosity is the lifestyle that allows God to take freely what He gave freely in the first place.

‘But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and WE HAVE GIVEN YOU ONLY WHAT COMES FROM YOUR HAND.’ (1Chro. 29:14 NIV)

Hmm…

Every baby is born greedy. But every believer is born-again generous! It is a direct fruit of the Spirit that produced the believer!

‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love…’ (gal 5:22)

When you start thriving, and you increase your standard of living but neglect your standard of giving… then you will be given a warm welcome to the Preacher’s 5-point reality of an unfulfilled life.

It starts with a chase, and ends in a waste. In the middle, it is loaded with worries and vanities.

The only thing in life that qualifies not to have a tag called vanity attached to it is: ‘anything you do in making God and His Gospel known in this world’.

‘Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to THE WORK OF THE LORD, because you know that your labor in the Lord IS NOT IN VAIN’ (1Cor. 15:58)

Alway remember that if it is a “labour in the Lord”, then it can NEVER be in vain! In other words, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes can NEVER tag such as VANITY! Make a decision to be practically and sacrificially involved in the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus in this world.

Also be sure to give priority to the welfare of people, ESPECIALLY believers in need.

‘Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and ESPECIALLY [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers).’ (Gal. 6:9-10 AMP)

Hallelujah.

With this, even though you left money behind after you leave this life (recall the fifth point above), you will be shocked to find it in heaven in another form: Divine Rewards!

This is how Jesus summarized this:

‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matthew 6:19-21).

If you put your treasure into pleasing God, your heart will experience the joy of knowing God. Therefore, don’t be a money chaser. Seek to be a money giver. And money will come to you the more for you to give the more. Because the reward for generosity is the grace for more generosity!

‘And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over TO SHARE with others.’ (2Cor. 9:8 NLT)

Thank you for studying Ecclesiastes 5 with me. Never forget the 5 points the preacher said about money. I pray that your life pleases God financially, in Jesus Holy name.

Remain under Grace.

Amen.