Biblical Economics

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. – Genesis 1:1

What is your economic worldview?  Are you operating based on limited resources or sufficient resources?  Did you know that God’s economy promises abundance and never scarcity?

Those of us who took economic classes in high school or college learned that economics is the management of limited or scarce resources. This view of scarcity breeds greed, fear and unrestrained competition. This is the result of this type of thinking: Since there is not enough, we all must compete to get as much as we can and protect what we have.

This view is contrary to God’s view of economics. God created the earth with all- sufficient resources. Even sin did not limit the earth’s resources.  The misuse and violation of God’s economic principles have limited the earth’s resources. God promises to provide for the needs of all believers as long as they do not misuse the resources He entrusts them with. When the believer properly stewards the resources God places under his care without violating God’s principles, God will provide.

In the same way, God’s promise is that as long as the earth remains, “There will be seed time and harvest” (Genesis 8:22a).  Matthew 6:33 states that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, everything that we need will be provided for; this is not a promise for some believers, but for all believers at all times.

Why then are we suffering from such lack, given that God created the earth with sufficient resources? Why is the world’s economy in chaos? Why are believers suffering along with the world?

§  Man’s refusal to give God the honor and glory as the Creator

§  Man’s stubborn pursuit of other gods

§  Man’s violation of God’s economic principles

§  Man’s misuse of God’s creation

Many Christians are suffering along with the world because we did not heed the early warnings of men, such as the late Larry Burkett, and others who prophetically challenged us to return to God’s principles in how we handle our finances.

Prior to sin, it was impossible for man to lack because he operated by God’s principles and everything he did was pleasing to God.  If we are to experience the abundance and sufficiency that God intends, we must realign our lives and businesses with the unchanging principles of God’s word.

Biblical economics is a biblically-based process of producing, distributing, and consuming the resources of God. Three main activities are present in every economy: production, distribution, and consumption.  In a biblical economy, production and distribution are based on love and integrity.  Each person works for his or her own individual provision and consumption is in line with the principle of contentment.

The world is currently suffering the consequences of the violation of each of these principles. We have for so long operated based on greed and violated the principles of work, Sabbath, and contentment, and consumed based on our lusts rather than our needs. The world’s answer to fix the economy is not to save and limit our consumption to what we need, but to spend and keep allowing our appetites to lust after more things. According to the world, the key is to keep buying, which keeps the economy turning. This is an artificial solution. It works only as long as we can print money and manipulate currencies, until we are forced to operate based on integrity.

In God’s economy, the answer to economic challenges is to save, to consume only what we need, to invest in productive work, and to give to those in need and to the work of the kingdom.

What is your worldview? Are you operating based on a biblical economy? Seek the Lord for guidance and wisdom on how to obey His word during these difficult times.