But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:18
“God gives some people the ability to make a lot of money. Moses told the Israelites, “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” People with this ability are good at building a business, making deals or sales, and reaping a profit. If you have this business ability, you should be using it for God’s glory. How? First, realize your ability came from God and give him the credit. Second, use your business to serve a need of others and to share your faith with unbelievers. Third, return at least a tithe (10 percent) of the profit to God as an act of worship. Finally, make your goal to be a Kingdom Builder rather than just a Wealth Builder… Your abilities were not given just to
make a living; God gave them to you for your ministry… We serve God by serving others.”
Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am Here For?” (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002) 243, 244, 257.
Regardless of your occupation, you produce abundance when you use your ability.
Bakers make cookies, cakes, and more. Tailors turn fabric into articles of clothing. Plumbers cause fluids to flow where they need to go. Chefs turn available ingredients into a delicious meal. You get the idea.
The use of your ability makes a contribution or provides a service and supplies you with compensation.
For most people, the compensation is enough to cover expenses related to living, giving, serving, and loving others like Jesus. For some, the money is far more than they need.
Sadly, the temptation for people with the ability to make a lot of wealth is not to remember that God gave them that ability. Their tendency is to forget God.
The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 illustrates this. He used his ability and produced an abundant crop. But then, instead of enjoying and sharing it, he chose to keep the wealth for himself and quit using his ability. This decision hastened his demise.
This explains why Warren exhorts people who have the ability to make a lot of money not to be wealth builders but rather kingdom builders. Why? He gave us our abilities to make a living and to ministry with Him in the world.
God, thank you for giving me the ability to produce wealth. By your Holy Spirit, guide me in using that ability not to build wealth but to build your kingdom so I make a living and have a ministry with you in the world. Amen.