God wants His people to live abundant lives, and this includes the area of finances.
Financial prosperity is seen in the lives of those who love God and obey Him. We see it in the lives of many of the faithful in the Bible such as Abraham, Joseph, even King David. God does bless His people with material prosperity.
On the other hand, there are some of God's faithful that aren't rich, but are contented and well-provided for. One great example is the apostle Paul, who said,
"I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (see Philippians 4:11-12)
Paul was a generous man who worked while serving in ministry. He fathered many churches, and provided for his companions. Despite the challenges, Paul was content and happy with God's provisions. What was his secret?
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
Growing financially
That said, we Christians should know that God wants to bless us. Christ Jesus our Lord became poor so that in His poverty we could be made rich, simply because through Him we could be sons and daughters to our God and King.
If we want to be blessed, then we should follow God's word, including what He says about our finances. Here are some ways to grow money, according to the Bible.
1) Give to the Lord
First, we need to recognize that all that we have comes from God. We should cultivate the discipline of tithing.
"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)
Tithing is God's command. I know that some Christians do not tithe because they worry where the money will go to. If that's the case, I would recommend finding missionaries or ministers who truly labor in preaching the Gospel, especially those serving in poor communities.
Did you know that we can give to the Lord by giving to the poor? Proverbs 19:17 tells us, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given." God will bless you for blessing those who don't have anything.
2) Honor the Lord with your first fruits
Next, we should learn to honor God with the best of what we have. The Bible says we should honor God with the first of our produce. Proverbs 3:9-10 tells us,
"Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."
Farmers doing this give the first of their harvest. Animal raisers do so by giving the firstborn among the flock. We can do this by giving to the Lord the first part of our income.
Think about this a "thank you offering" to the Lord for giving us the power to produce wealth, whether it's a skill, a job contract, or both (see Deuteronomy 8:18).
3) Work hard and don't be lazy
The last one is a no-brainer. While God indeed promises to provide all that we need, He doesn't want us just lying down on the couch eating potato chips while watching Netflix all the time. Proverbs 10:4 warns us against laziness,
"He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
God promises to provide alright, but He doesn't want us lazy. He wants us to work, but not to become anxious about what to eat or wear tomorrow.
Instead, we are to seek His will in all we do, and that includes our finances, our careers, and our work. We are to trust Him and follow Him as we live righteous lives, humbly and diligently putting our hands to work for His glory. (see Matthew 6)
