- Borrowing is not encouraged in the Bible. The borrower is a slave to the lender. (Prov 22:7).
- If you are in debt, humble yourself, plead with the lender, lose sleep, if necessary, and, with the desperation of an animal that finds itself trapped, work to free yourself of that debt. (Prov 6:1-5)
- Poverty is not pretty; all other things being equal, it is better to have than not to. (Prov 10:15; Prov 14:20; Prov 19:4)
- Hard work and good decision-making usually lead to increase. (Prov 6:6-11; Prov 10:4; Prov 13:11; Prov 21:17; Prov 21:20; Prov 22:4; Prov 22:13; Prov 27:23-27; Prov 28:20)
- The Lord hates those who get rich by injustice and exploitation. (Prov 21:6; Prov 22:16; Prov 22:22-23)
- The race to keep up with the Joneses is often deceptive (Prov 12:9; Prov 13:7)
- Jesus Himself seems to encourage investment to grow wealth (Matt 25:14-30)
- Money isn’t everything:
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- It does not satisfy (Prov 23:4-5)
- It is inferior to wisdom (Prov 8:10-11; Prov 8:18-19; Prov 24:3-4)
- It is inferior to righteousness (Prov 10:2; Prov 11:4; Prov 16:8; Prov 19:22; Prov 20:17; Prov 28:6)
- It is inferior to the fear of the Lord (Prov 15:16)
- It is inferior to humility (Prov 16:19)
- It is inferior to good relationships (Prov 15:17; Prov 17:1)