Wisdom for Navigating FinancesНамуна

When God Gives You More

Having more than you need can be a blessing, but it can also be a challenge.

Earlier in this Bible Plan, we looked at the rich young ruler. He had everything people dream about: money, security, and success. But all of it made it harder for him to follow God. His problem wasn’t what he owned but how tightly he held on to it.

That story shows us something true about all of us. Having more can make it harder to trust God.

The Bible is full of people who started out humble and dependent on God but lost their way once life got easy. David began brave and faithful, but power and comfort clouded his judgment. Solomon had wisdom and wealth, but both eventually pulled his heart away from God. And in the New Testament, the church in Laodicea became so comfortable that it forgot how much it needed God.

Having more than we need can be a blessing when we see everything we have as a gift from God and use it to help others. It becomes a problem when we believe it’s all ours to protect.

Paul wrote that God provides what we need and sometimes even more. But the extra isn’t meant to make us feel important. It’s meant to meet needs around us. God gives so we can give.

This generosity reflects the love of God. When we were unworthy, God gave Himself for us regardless of our beliefs, backgrounds, spiritual habits, or work ethic. So when we give, we don’t put conditions on our generosity. And we definitely don’t wait till people “deserve” or “earn” generosity, because we ourselves didn’t deserve God’s generosity.

That’s why God’s people have always practiced something called the tithe. The word “tithe” simply means “tenth.” It’s the practice of giving the first part of what we earn back to God as a way of saying, “Everything I have comes from You.” It’s not about meeting a requirement. It’s about building trust.

The tithe trains our hearts to remember who really owns our stuff. It loosens the grip that money can have on us.

When we give, we’re not losing something valuable. We’re returning something sacred. Each time we give, we’re choosing faith over fear, trust over control, and gratitude over greed.

When you have more than you need, see it not as something to protect but as something to share, because giving freely is how we remind ourselves that God—not money—is our security.

One final story to close off this Plan. As Jesus was about to begin His ministry, some people approached Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist with a question. They wondered, “How can we prepare for the coming Messiah?”

Maybe they expected a dramatic spiritual stunt or sacrifice. Instead, he said that if anyone has two shirts, they should give one to someone who has none, and if someone has more food than they need, they should give it to someone with none.

What’s the point? That when we trust God, we know we’re loved. And when we define what’s enough as what we need for today, we often find we have more than we need. And when we seek to live and love like Jesus, we share our excess with others, freely and generously.

3 Ways to Pursue Biblical Financial Wisdom

1. Trust God, not your bank account.
2. Be content with what you need each day.
3. Freely give to others.

Prayer

God, thank You for providing what I need. Help me hold what I have with open hands. When You give me more than enough, teach me to give it freely and reflect Your generous heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Example prayers for financial stress.