Attitudes that lead to financial ruin and curses
The Bible provides a lot of practical advice on money, including warnings about the things that bring financial poverty and spiritual curses. Our attitudes about money will always reveal the true nature of our hearts; whether we love God and love people more than riches. Here is a quick list of attitudes that will eventually lead to financial ruin and curses.
(See Chinese versions: 简体中文 > 什么导致财务危机和咒诅 | 繁體中文 > 什麽導致財務危機和咒詛)
Matthew 22:36-40 ESV “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Attitudes that will lead to financial ruin and curses
A poor attitude toward God
Failing to check with God’s about how to use the money we have | Jeremiah 10:21 ESV For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the Lord; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.
Neglecting to honour God with our tithes and offerings | Malachi 3:8-9 ESV Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.
Not honouring God with our wealth and the first-cut of our income | Proverbs 3:9-10 ESV Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
A poor attitude toward people
Lying in order to get rich | Proverbs 21:6 ESV The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.
Obstinance, refusal to listen to sound advice | Proverbs 13:18 ESV Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.
Oppressing the poor to increase wealth | Proverbs 22:16 ESV Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Holding back payments due to others | James 5:1,4-5 ESV Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
A poor attitude toward money
Laziness | Proverbs 10:4 ESV A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Empty talk | Proverbs 14:23 ESV In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Refusing to be generous | Proverbs 28:22 ESV A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
Falling for get-rich-quick schemes | Proverbs 13:11 NLT Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.
Spending money on worthless pursuits | Proverbs 28:19 ESV …he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
Over-indulging in food and drink | Proverbs 23:20-21 ESV Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.
Pursuing luxury and self-indulgence | James 5:5 ESV You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
Renewing our attitudes
Perhaps we have witnessed so many examples of the unhealthy attitudes listed above that we have come to accept that this is just how we too need to live, in order to stay ahead.
We under-declare our income on our tax forms, use money to indulge in our own fleshly desires, hoard money, ignore the needs of the poor and simply forget God when it comes to financial matters. We believe, “We only live once” or “This is just how the world works” or “No one is going to take of you so you better take care of yourself.”
Turning away from certain lifestyles, misleading ideas and patterns of this world may seem very daunting, but let us take the longer term view to our financial budgeting. In The Parable of the Rich Fool mentioned in Luke 12, Jesus gives us a vivid reminder that we can be rich in this world but end up destitute in the Kingdom of God if we are not rich towards God and people.
Luke 12:20-21 ESV But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Let us check our attitudes and repent for falling for worldly lies, and let Jesus show us the abundant life He has prepared for us instead. God does not want to curb our lives, He wants to show us the good things He has generously prepared for us even before we were born – they will be far beyond our imagination and ability to achieve on our own without our Creator. He is the One who owns everything on earth and beyond, and He desires to share His riches with us. Money will come and go, but our spiritual inheritance will be everlasting. Choosing God’s way over money is the far better and wiser investment choice.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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