The Three Lies Keeping Christians Broke

Lie #1: “Money Is The Root Of All Evil”

You’ve heard it a thousand times. Maybe quoted it yourself. It sounds biblical. It feels humble.

There’s just one problem: That’s not what the Bible says.

Here’s the actual verse:

“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 6:10, NIV)

Notice the difference?

Money isn’t the problem. The love of money—making it an idol, pursuing it above God, letting it control you—is the problem.

But poverty theology conflates the two. It assumes that having wealth means worshiping wealth. That building money automatically creates idolatry. That godly people should avoid financial success to protect their souls.

This is why Christians feel guilty about:

• Asking for raises
• Starting businesses
• Investing for growth
• Wanting financial margin
• Building wealth for their families

The lie whispers: “If you pursue wealth, you’re worldly. If you want more, you’re greedy. Money corrupts, so stay small and stay safe.”

But Scripture shows otherwise.

Abraham was “very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold” (Genesis 13:2). Job was “the greatest man among all the people of the East” (Job 1:3). Joseph managed the wealth of an entire nation. Lydia was a successful businesswoman who funded Paul’s missionary journeys.

These weren’t spiritually compromised people. They were faithful believers who built and managed significant wealth.

Money isn’t evil. The heart that idolizes it is evil.

And avoiding wealth out of fear doesn’t make you spiritual—it makes you the servant who buried his talent.

Lie #2: “Godly People Should Be Poor”

This lie is more subtle. It doesn’t say poverty is required, but it romanticizes financial struggle as proof of devotion.

The reasoning goes like this:

“Jesus was poor. He had no place to lay his head. The disciples left everything to follow him. Paul experienced hardship and suffering. True followers embrace poverty as evidence of faith.”

Sounds compelling. Except it cherry-picks Scripture and ignores context.

Yes, Jesus said he had “no place to lay his head” during his itinerant ministry (Matthew 8:20). But Jesus also:

• Was supported by wealthy women who funded his ministry (Luke 8:1-3)
• Wore expensive clothing worth gambling over (John 19:23-24)
• Had a treasurer managing group funds (John 13:29)

Jesus wasn’t destitute. He was on mission—prioritizing kingdom work over personal comfort during a specific season.

Yes, the disciples left their businesses to follow Jesus. But that doesn’t mean all Christians should abandon wealth-building. It means they prioritized calling over comfort for a unique assignment.

Paul said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12).

He experienced both poverty and abundance. Neither defined his spirituality.

The lie assumes wealth automatically distracts from God. But poverty can be just as distracting:

• Poverty creates anxiety (How will I pay rent this month?)
• Poverty limits generosity (Can’t give what you don’t have)
• Poverty consumes mental energy (Constantly worried about bills)
• Poverty prevents kingdom deployment (Can’t fund missionaries or ministries significantly)

God doesn’t require poverty. He requires faithfulness.

And faithful stewardship—when done correctly—often leads to increase.

Lie #3: “Wanting Wealth Is Greedy”

This is the lie that paralyzes Christians most.

You feel the tension:

• Part of you wants financial margin, security, the ability to give generously
• Part of you feels guilty for wanting it, like ambition equals worldliness

So you stay stuck—wanting more but ashamed of the desire, working hard but afraid to pursue increase, giving from scarcity while feeling guilty for not giving more.

Here’s what you need to understand: Greed and stewardship are not the same thing.

Greed is making money your god. Pursuing wealth as an end in itself. Hoarding for selfish comfort. Loving money more than loving God.

Stewardship is faithfully multiplying what God has entrusted to you. Building capacity for kingdom deployment. Creating margin for generosity. Using wealth as a tool, not a treasure.

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) makes this clear:

The master gave three servants money. Two invested and doubled it. One buried it out of fear.

When the master returned, he rewarded the investors and called the one who buried his talent “wicked and lazy.”

Not greedy. Wicked and lazy.

Why? Because he did nothing with what was entrusted to him. He preserved instead of multiplied. He played defense instead of offense.

God expects multiplication. Not reckless speculation. Not gambling. But faithful, strategic growth of the resources He’s given you.

Wanting to build wealth isn’t greedy—if the purpose is kingdom deployment, not personal indulgence.

The question isn’t “Is it okay to want wealth?” The question is “What will I do with it when I build it?”

The Theology That Created This Mess

These lies didn’t appear out of nowhere. They’re the result of centuries of bad theology that’s infected the church.

Poverty Theology: The Noble Suffering Myth

Poverty theology teaches that financial struggle is spiritually purifying. That comfort breeds complacency. That godly people should embrace hardship as sanctification.

It sounds humble. It feels safe. And it’s completely unbiblical.

Where it came from:

• Early monastic movements (monks rejecting worldly possessions)
• Ascetic traditions (suffering as spiritual discipline)
• Misapplied Scripture (verses about contentment twisted into commands for limitation)

Why it fails:

• It limits kingdom impact (broke Christians can’t fund missionaries, plant churches, or support ministries significantly)
• It creates unnecessary suffering (families struggle financially while believing it’s God’s will)
• It distorts calling (people avoid entrepreneurship or wealth-building careers because they seem “unspiritual”)
• It produces guilt (Christians who succeed financially feel ashamed, as if prosperity disqualifies them from godliness)

Poverty theology romanticizes financial struggle. But there’s nothing holy about being broke when you could be building wealth for kingdom purposes.

Prosperity Gospel: The Opposite Ditch

If poverty theology is one extreme, prosperity gospel is the other.

It promises guaranteed wealth through faith formulas. Name it, claim it. Seed money unlocks blessing. God wants everyone rich.

Why it’s dangerous:

• It turns God into a cosmic vending machine (insert faith, receive wealth)
• It creates theological confusion (wealth becomes the measure of spirituality)
• It produces devastating guilt (when promised riches don’t arrive, people assume their faith is defective)
• It enables exploitation (prosperity preachers get rich while followers stay broke, convinced they’re one more seed offering away from breakthrough)

Prosperity gospel distorts biblical truth. Yes, God blesses obedience. Yes, Scripture promises provision. But blessing isn’t always financial, provision isn’t always abundance, and increase isn’t always immediate.

Most Christians are stuck between these extremes:

• Too biblically grounded to believe prosperity gospel
• Too guilt-ridden to pursue wealth aggressively
• Confused about whether God wants them prosperous or poor
• Afraid to build wealth because it might be greedy
• Stuck in financial mediocrity while feeling vaguely guilty about wanting more

There’s a third way. A biblical way.

The Biblical Alternative: Faithful Stewardship

Here’s what Scripture actually teaches about wealth:

Principle #1: God Owns Everything—You’re The Manager

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)

You don’t own your wealth. You manage it.

You’re not the owner. You’re the steward.

This changes everything:

• Pride disappears (it’s not yours to boast about)
• Entitlement disappears (you didn’t earn ultimate ownership)
• Fear decreases (you’re managing someone else’s resources)
• Pressure decreases (outcomes belong to the Owner, not the manager)

Your job isn’t to accumulate endlessly for yourself. It’s to faithfully manage what God has entrusted to you.

That’s stewardship.

Principle #2: Multiplication Is Expected—Not Optional

Remember the Parable of the Talents? The master didn’t reward the servant who preserved. He rewarded the servants who multiplied.

God expects growth. He expects increase. He expects you to use what He’s given you to create more.

Not through reckless speculation. Through faithful, strategic stewardship.

This means:

• Investing in income-producing assets (not burying money in checking accounts)
• Developing skills that increase earning capacity (not settling for mediocrity)
• Building businesses or side income streams (not limiting yourself to one paycheck)
• Taking calculated risks (not playing it safe out of fear)
• Creating compound growth over time (not just surviving month-to-month)

This isn’t greed. It’s obedience.

Principle #3: Generosity Flows From Abundance—Not Scarcity

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

God loves a cheerful giver. Not a reluctant giver. Not a guilted giver. A cheerful giver.

You can’t give cheerfully when you’re broke.

Scarcity creates stress. Stress creates reluctance. Reluctance isn’t cheerful.

But when you build wealth through faithful stewardship, generosity stops being sacrifice and starts being overflow.

You give because you have increase—not because you’re guilted into it.

As your income grows, your giving percentage should grow:

• Income $50K → Give 10% = $5K annually
• Income $100K → Give 15% = $15K annually
• Income $200K → Give 25% = $50K annually

This is the opposite of lifestyle inflation. As you earn more, you give more—not just in dollars, but in percentage.

That’s biblical prosperity.

Principle #4: Wealth Serves Kingdom Purposes—Not Personal Comfort

Look at the biblical examples of wealthy believers:

• Abraham used his wealth to rescue Lot and fund covenant faithfulness
• Job’s wealth positioned him as a leader and advocate for justice
• Joseph’s wealth management saved nations from famine
• Lydia’s wealth funded Paul’s missionary journeys

Their wealth wasn’t for personal comfort. It served kingdom purposes.

You’re not building wealth to:

• Impress people
• Achieve status
• Accumulate endlessly
• Fund a luxurious lifestyle

You’re building wealth to:

• Fund missionaries and ministries
• Support church planting
• Provide for family with margin for generosity
• Create jobs through business
• Leave generational inheritance
• Deploy capital for kingdom ROI

Wealth is a tool. The question is: What are you building it for?

How To Break Free (Starting Today)

Knowledge without action changes nothing. Here’s how to break free from the lies and start building wealth biblically:

Step 1: Reject The False Theology

Say it out loud:

“I am not called to poverty. I am not guaranteed wealth. I am called to faithful stewardship.”

Write it down. Pray over it. Let it reshape how you think about money.

Step 2: Change Your Identity

You’re not an owner trying to get more. You’re a steward multiplying what’s been entrusted to you.

This shift removes:

• Greed (it’s not yours to hoard)
• Guilt (faithful multiplication is obedience, not worldliness)
• Fear (outcomes belong to God, not you)

Step 3: Build With Intention

Most wealth plans fail because they focus only on cutting expenses. Biblical stewardship focuses on increasing income.

Choose one income acceleration strategy:

• Develop a high-income skill (project management, coding, public speaking)
• Start a side business (consulting, freelancing, online services)
• Pursue a promotion (ask for the raise, apply for the position)
• Invest strategically (stocks, real estate, income-producing assets)
• Build passive income streams (royalties, dividends, rental income)

Take the first step this week.

Step 4: Give From Overflow

Don’t give from leftovers. Give first.

Set up automatic transfers:

• Church (10% minimum)
• Missionaries
• Ministries
• Kingdom work

As income increases, increase giving percentage—not just dollars.

Step 5: Find Accountability

You’re 10x more likely to succeed with accountability.

Recruit:

• Spouse (if married): Full alignment on vision and goals
• Accountability partner: Someone ahead of you financially who can challenge and encourage
• Mentor: Successful Christian who’s built wealth biblically and can show you what’s possible

Meet monthly. Review progress. Celebrate wins. Adjust strategies.