What the Bible Says About Spending
How we spend money reveals what we treasure, and Scripture speaks with remarkable practicality about the wise and faithful use of our resources. The Bible neither condemns money itself nor commends careless extravagance; instead it calls believers to prudence, contentment, and a heart anchored in God rather than in possessions. Proverbs 21:20 contrasts the wise and the foolish in their spending: "Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it." Wisdom saves and stewards, while folly consumes everything immediately. Proverbs 22:7 adds a sober warning about debt, observing that "the borrower is the slave of the lender," cautioning us against spending that enslaves us to obligation. Scripture also exposes the emptiness of spending driven by greed. Ecclesiastes 5:10 declares, "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity." Money never fills the hunger of the heart. Jesus presses the matter to its root in Matthew 6:19, warning, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth," and then in Matthew 6:21 He reveals why: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Our spending charts the direction of our affections. Wise spending therefore requires planning and counting the cost, as Jesus illustrates in Luke 14:28, where the builder first sits down to calculate whether he has enough to finish the tower. The deepest danger is not having money but loving it. 1 Timothy 6:10 warns that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils," leading some to wander from the faith. The remedy is contentment grounded in God's faithfulness. Hebrews 13:5 commands, "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" Faithful spending flows from trusting the God who provides, freeing us to be generous, prudent, and unenslaved by the things we buy.
Key verse snapshot
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
Bible Verses about Spending
8 Scripture passages on this theme
Proverbs 21:20
“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”
Proverbs 22:7
“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10
“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”
Matthew 6:19
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”
Matthew 6:21
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Luke 14:28
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Apply These Verses to Your Life
Scripture comes alive when we meditate on it and apply it daily. Read these verses in full context, pray for understanding, and ask God how they speak to your situation with spending.
- Author:
- The Lord Will Editorial Team
- Reviewed by:
- Ugo Candido
- Last updated:
- Category:
- Scripture Guidance