Two things I ask of you, LORD… give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you… Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:7-9 NIV

When asked once about how much money I wanted to make, I responded to my best friend by saying, “as much money as possible.” He then responded with the above passage, and shared how much money he wanted to make: 

“Not too little, not too much. I don’t want to lack what I need, but I also don’t want to lose my purpose in life or my relationship with God.”

His perspective opened my eyes to an entirely different way of thinking about finances—one that was free from the hustle of striving for more and the stress of always feeling like I didn’t have enough.   

Proverbs 30 taught me to think about who I am becoming, not how much money I have. It taught me to value the heart over the hustle—zooming out and thinking about how God is helping me build my life rather than striving for immediate status, wealth, or pleasure.

God is an expert builder. As we walk with him, he teaches us to build our lives in a way that endures (Luke 6:47-49). We build a strong financial life by building a strong spiritual life. God satisfies our true spiritual needs; he teaches us contentment and the value of a relationship with him. Once we have this firm foundation, our financial decisions and desires will flow from a place of faith, trust, and purpose rather than selfishness, fear, or greed.

The power of heart over hustle

While money can’t buy happiness, we do still need an appropriate amount of it for our well-being. It’s essential that we have enough income to provide for our basic needs like food, water, shelter, clothing, and healthcare. 

As Morgan Housel says in The Psychology of Money, “Past a certain level, what you need is just what sits below your ego.”

Past a certain level, what you need is just what sits below your ego.

One of the biggest sources of financial stress is our ego because it causes us to compete with other people. As a result, we spend more than we need to. This stops us from building our financial lives and leads us to live beyond our means or paycheck-to-paycheck.

Before I became a Christian, I had no sense of contentment—only comparison and ego. But scriptures like this changed my mindset and life for the better:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. [8] But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. [9] Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

The contentment we get when we have a close relationship with God (what these verses call “godliness”) is a great gain. It brings us peace and protects us from making harmful and destructive decisions.

God satisfies our hearts in a way that nothing else can, and he also gives us a sense of divine purpose (Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP). Our lives have a purpose greater than trying to make money and be better than others. We were uniquely chosen to make an impact in the world, and when we are confident about that, we will be able to let go of our ego and enjoy building the life we have rather than longing for a different one.

Scriptures for reflection

1. Value what money can’t buy.

You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.

Psalm 16:11 ERV

Several years ago, I asked a friend of mine for advice about my career. He had been very successful in business, so I wanted to know what he thought I should do next.

“Honestly,” he told me, “You seem happy, and you can’t underestimate the value of happiness.” He went on to tell me that he could see how happy I was in my marriage, family, and relationships—and he thought I should value that over any career move that could jeopardize it.

Through conversations like these, God has taught me how important it is to value the things money can’t buy. Being with him is the ultimate source of happiness. As we think about our financial decisions, it’s essential to remember that the most important choice we can make is to prioritize our relationship with God. He is our greatest treasure, and he builds our lives so that we can inspire others to get to know him, not so that we can just get prosperity for ourselves.

2. Think like a builder.

Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

Proverbs 13:11 NLT

As Proverbs 13 says, wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears. But the wealth we earn from hard work grows over time. The Bible teaches us to be patient and build for the long-term rather than choosing the quicker or easier route. I see this lesson in one of my favorite stories in the Bible, often called the Parable of the Talents. While it’s not exclusively about material wealth, I think this parable gives us insight into how God wants us to build with what he’s given us:

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. [15] He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last-dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [16] “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. [17] The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. [18] But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

Matthew 25:14-18 NLT

The master in this story represents God, and he entrusts his servants with taking care of different amounts of his money. The amount he gives is almost irrelevant; it was what they did with it that mattered.

If you keep reading the story, you find that the master comes back and praises the faithful attitude of his first two servants. They had taken what he gave them and built on it. We don’t know how long this took, but we do know from verse 19 that the master was gone for a long time. These two servants probably didn’t double their master’s money right away, but they were faithful and patient.

But the third servant wasn’t. He didn’t build. He settled and took the easiest route.

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. [25] I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ [26] “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, [27] why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

Matthew 25:24-27 NLT

This story is rich with meaning, but when we apply it to our financial lives, we learn that God wants us to build. A builder patiently and diligently develops their skills, resources, and relationships as they grow into the destiny God has planned for them.

Here are a few practical ways we can build our financial lives:

• Build spiritual character: A builder looks for ways to build their faith and character, developing invaluable qualities like contentment and discipline rather than taking shortcuts or looking for quick relief. 
• Build skills: A builder looks at lasting investments rather than quick fixes. This might look like investing in our education or taking a job that develops long-term marketable skills rather than one that promises immediate six figures but might not last or be the best fit. 
• Build relationships: A builder understands the value of relationships and connections. Our network doesn’t always pay off right away, but in the end it really matters who we know. 

Read more: Dream Big, Plan Boldly: How to Set Spiritual Goals and Trust God Completely

3. Develop a “saving” mindset.

Wealth [not earned but] won in haste or unjustly or from the production of things for vain or detrimental use [such riches] will dwindle away, but he who gathers little by little will increase [his riches].

Proverbs 13:11 AMPC

One of the most important habits to build your personal finances is saving. Mastering this habit is a building block for building your personal finances. It doesn’t matter whether you save a lot or a little. The habit of saving is powerful because of a key financial concept called compound growth.

Let’s look at a simple example: 

• Sarah saves $300 a month, starting at the age 30 for 30 years. Assuming an annual return of 7%, her investments could grow to over $360,000.
• Ben decides to enjoy his life and decides to start saving 10 years later. Sarah has had a 10-year head start. Ben’s investments will have grown to only $160,000. Sarah’s 10-year head start doubled her result.

The key reason to save wisely is not to multiply wealth for yourself but to look ahead and build your life. In fact, saving money just to have more money is an empty practice (Luke 12:16-21). 

But saving money to build your life long-term is wise:

Wise people are builders—they build families, businesses, communities. And through intelligence and insight their enterprises are established and endure.

Proverbs 24:3 TPT

Most of the time, our financial responsibilities increase as we age. Saving money helps us be prepared for the additional expenses that will inevitably come so that our lives don’t collapse under crushing consumer debt when unexpected needs arise.

Saving is a powerful way to build your financial foundation, and it doesn’t require any special skill or luck. Anyone can do it; you simply have to spend less than you earn.  

Remember, what we need is to cover our basic necessities. After that, we can choose to spend or we can choose to save. Right now, you probably have an idea where you can spend less. This usually comes down to things like eating out and entertainment. 

When it comes to saving, most people fall into one of three categories:

1. Those who save.
2. Those who don’t think they can save.
3. Those who don’t believe they need to save.

Which category are you in today? Choose to be in the category of people who save, and you won’t regret it!

4. Live by a budget.

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5 NIV

I still remember the first time I had to live by a budget, and it was hard. Covering my basic necessities took planning and discipline. But in those difficult moments, when I had to say no to myself, I didn’t realize that God was developing a heart in me that I would need as my life grew. The profit I got from that time was more than financial; it built my character to handle the responsibilities I would be entrusted with later.

No matter what our income is, we need to develop the ability to live by a budget. Without understanding what we really need, developing a saving mindset, and avoiding debt, even high income earners continue to face financial challenges.

5. Avoid consumer debt.

Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

Proverbs 13:7 NLT

The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7 AMP

In my opinion, the one type of debt that does the most damage to personal finances is credit card debt, especially for purchasing non-essential goods and services. There are times when we need to put something on a credit card, like an emergency medical bill, but that is also why we save to cover unforeseen events.

Unnecessary debt stops us from achieving the level of income needed for well-being. That’s why the Bible says that “the borrower is servant to the lender.” Debt holds us down financially, preventing us from growing our lives. Instead of saving for our retirement or a home, we end up delaying building our lives by spending our hard-earned money to pay off credit card debt and interest costs on purchases we didn’t need.

Questions for reflection

1. Which of these five areas are my strengths? What are my weaknesses when it comes to thinking spiritually about my finances?
2. What practical decisions can I make to value “heart” over “hustle”?

Next steps

1. Watch this video to build your faith in God’s generosity: This Lie Can Keep You From Living Generously.
2. Ask for input. I have seen many friends suffer financially because they were too proud to ask for help. Set up time with someone whose finances and faith you admire and ask for their input on the area you need most help with. It might be budgeting, saving, or long-term planning. 
3. Master the fundamentals of budgeting and saving. If you don’t have a monthly budget, this downloadable template is a good place to start. 
4. Review your spending weekly. In finances, as in every other area of life, awareness is health. It’s essential to know where your money is going so that you can adjust as needed. Reviewing your spending regularly ensures that it is a small and simple task; if you don’t do it regularly, you will likely feel overwhelmed at all the transactions to keep up with.