City Life Starter

I. The Word

Proverbs 13:4: “The soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

Proverbs 13:11: “Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it.”

Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”

Proverbs 21:20: “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.”

II. Questions

1. Is money moral or immoral?

2. What does the Bible call someone who spends everything they earn?

3. What are the three Biblical virtues that create wealth?

A sermon series about money would not be complete without answering the question on everyone’s mind: “How do I become wealthy?” By this point in the series of Starter posts and sermons you know a few things. First, you understand that money is amoral: it is neither moral nor immoral. Money is a tool; it can be used for good or evil, to bless or to curse. Second, you should understand that wealth is a blessing. That doesn’t mean that everyone who is wealthy is so as a result of God’s blessing or that everyone who is poor is cursed by Good.

However, it is true that wealth generally follows certain patterns of behavior the Lord considers virtuous. It happens naturally and supernaturally. In other words, in the natural course of things, even without God’s intervention this virtuous conduct generally produces wealth. It also happens supernaturally in that God at times intervenes to cause circumstances to break favorably for people who live out these virtues.

So, what are these virtues? They are all found in the Proverbs cited above. There are principally three virtues, and each is necessary but when combined they usually produce wealth. Here they are:

Hard work. “The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4. Laziness brings poverty, but hard work generates wealth. I figured out as a young attorney that if I was willing to work harder than the opposing counsel, it didn’t matter if they were from a prestigious large law firm or law school, I would generally get the best of them at trial. Winning cases lead to a reputation, which led to better cases, which led to more money. It really doesn’t matter whether you are a lawyer, accountant, teacher, or engineer; hard work generally translates into more money.

Thrift.“The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.” Proverbs 21:20. It is not enough just to work hard or have a high income; if you spend right up to the level of your income (or like many, spend over it) you will never accumulate wealth. The virtue of thrift is the practice of living well below your level of income, which creates margin. The margin is another word for expendable income. But even with hard work and thrift, you will not necessarily become wealthy without one additional virtue.

Diligence. Diligence is hard work over time. Another word for diligence is persistence. If you are only thrifty periodically or for a short period of time you will not generate wealth. If you only work hard periodically or for a short period of time, you will likely not generate wealth. It is hard work, combined with thrift (that creates margin), that is maintained over a long period of time that creates wealth.

Interestingly, while the amount of one’s income is important in the ability to generate wealth, the more important determining factor is the ability to maintain margin over time. This is what a couple of PhDs discovered when they conducted a comprehensive study of millionaires in the United States. Their 1996 book, The Millionaire Next Door, was a best-seller because it debunked myths such as the myth that wealth is primarily a result of income, education, or intelligence. Of course, the authors could have just read Proverbs and saved a lot of time. 

Now go be virtuous.