Wisdom & Wealth: Working, Warning, & Walking With God

In the first post, we saw how Proverbs teaches us to trust God, honor Him with our possessions, and choose contentment. But Proverbs also offers practical wisdom on how we work, warnings about wealth, and reminders of perspective.

Work Diligently and Honestly

Proverbs 16:26 says hunger drives a man to work. Work is honorable when done diligently. Proverbs 6:6-11 points us to the ant: a self-starter, disciplined, and prepared. Proverbs 10:4-5 says laziness leads to poverty, but diligence brings abundance.

But Proverbs also warns us about how not to make money:

• Stealing (Proverbs 6:30-31). It won’t go unpunished.

• Dishonesty (Proverbs 11:1; 21:6). God hates false scales and lying.

• Daydreaming (Proverbs 13:4). Wishing doesn’t build wealth; work does.

• Greed for gain (Proverbs 15:27). It destroys lives.

Heed Warnings about Wealth

Proverbs are realistic about money. It warns us about debt: “The borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). It warns about becoming surety—guaranteeing someone else’s debt (Proverbs 6:1; 11:15; 17:18). It also warns against haste: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5).

Reflect on Perspective

Some Proverbs challenge us to look deeper:

• Proverbs 13:7: “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.”

• Proverbs 13:23: A righteous man leaves an inheritance. Wealth is a stewardship.

• Proverbs 14:20: “The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends…”

• Proverbs 18:23: “The poor man uses entreaties, but the rich answers roughly.”

Money reveals perspective. Do we measure wealth by possessions, or by wisdom and righteousness?

Conclusion

Proverbs pulls back the curtain: wealth can bless or destroy, depending on how we use it. God calls us to work diligently, live honestly, avoid debt, and keep perspective. Mark these Proverbs in green—but more importantly, hide them in your heart.

True wealth is not found in dollars or possessions, but in walking with God.