Today, wealth is synonymous to money and material possessions. But in the Old Testament, wealth refers to physical strength (ability to work), an army, land, and natural resources. Strength is an important component of making wealth because it represents our ability to convert raw materials, like iron and copper, to something valuable. This is why money cannot beget money because someone has to work in order to grow it.
But before we can make wealth, we must remember that strength, land, and natural resources come from the Lord, so they belong to Him (Psalm 50:10-12). This means He gave us wealth so that we may create more wealth. Why? In Genesis 12:3, God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants so that they can in turn be a blessing to the world. This is the reason why God gave us wealth—to be a blessing.
How then, should we use the wealth we create? First, we should use it to provide for our needs so that we will never beg nor become a burden to anyone. Next, we should bless the poor so that they will know that there is a God who loves them. Lastly, we should use our business to show the world that God's ways will always be better than what it offers. When all these happen, God will give us the chance to disciple others and at the same time, glorify Him. As we do all these, we should take heart because God will bless the faithful but curse the wicked (those who do not use what they were given).
