What Does the Bible Says about Getting Rich Quickly?

Do you want to get rich quickly? Perhaps all of you want to answer YES!

Certainly many people wanted to become rich since the world at present has the super-rich who set to widen the rich-poor gap. Even in our world map, we can identify the “rich North – poor South depiction. According to United Nations, there are 783 million people live below the international poverty line of US$1.90 a day. Most people living in poverty line belongs to 2 regions: Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa – the poor south!

There are few who live rich while many are living poor. Perhaps in a scale of 1:100,000 can be described a rich versus poor gap. The poor go fishing to catch fish but the rich get the fish catch of the poor.

There are scenarios where most poor people are begging to the rich. You can see in the streets and slum areas where many poor person, old and children asking foods or begging money. It seems that streets and slums are their homes already.

Because of that situation, many people in different walks of life wanted to try to become rich quickly to escape from the reality of poverty. Perhaps most books are published in order for other people to be guided on how to become easily getting to the wealthy people. There are books like “One Minute Millionaire”, “How to be Rich”, “How to Get Rich Quickly”, “How to Legitimately Get Rick Quickly”, and many other related books.

The sad things are many allured to do evil ways to get rich quickly. Some are engage in scams, stealing, graft and corruption in business and politics today.

US President Harry S. Truman once said “You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook”. He observed that those politicians who became rich quickly are corrupt and dishonest government leaders.

Many are also allured to gambling and lottery as one of the getting to be rich quickly since it has coveted millions of prizes or quick monetary return. Others are engaging in get-rich-quick investments even it is unlawful or not regulated than in regulated stock markets offering stock share, bonds mutual fund.

In fact many are enticed to fall in line to those quick investment that promised some 30% out of its monetary donation. But many failed to give tithe to the church.

But, here are some questions to ponder?

Does God condone or tolerate anywhere that we should have that mentality and that it’s even okay for Him to get rich quickly?
Are there any places in Holy Scripture where God reveals His heart on the topic of getting rich quick and the drive to accumulate massive amounts of wealth over a very short period of time from things such as playing the lottery, entering a sweepstakes, or joining any venture that promises lots of money with little or no work or time invested?

So, what does the Bible Says about getting rich quickly (GRQ)?

1. Getting Rich Quickly (GRQ) will lost riches quickly too

The bible tells that a person who earns wealth easily will eventually lose it (Proverbs 13:11); so everyone must not toil much or overwork to get rich quickly since you don’t know when the wealth you get will disappear quickly (Proverbs 24:4-5).

Proverbs 13:11 (GNT)

¹¹The more easily you get your wealth, the sooner you will lose it. The harder it is to earn, the more you will have.

Proverbs 23:4-5 (NKJV)

⁴Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! ⁵Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

2. GRQ will not be blessed

Scripture tells that any wealth including inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end (Proverbs 20:21) just like the story of prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32→ who wasted inheritance from his father in his early life since he is not yet prepared…

Proverbs 20:21 (NKJV)

²¹An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.

3. GRQ will not be satisfied with wealth or riches

Those who gained quick richness from playing lottery, sweepstakes, entering ventures that promise immediate return of investments will not be satisfied with what they have obtained. They will be motivated to get more and more money (Read Ecc. 5:10).

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (GW)

¹⁰Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless.

4. GRQ will be harmful to Christian living & character!

Those who engage in getting rich quickly will be troubled by stress, never be peaceful, being trapped by stupid & harmful desires which generally affect their Christian faith and attitude. (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NKJV)

⁹But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

5. GRQ will be punished, a warning for all Christian!

Those who get rich quickly in dishonest schemes (stealing, swindling, robbing, bribery, corruption, etc.) will certainly be punished (Prov. 28:20).

Proverbs 28:20 (GW)

²⁰A trustworthy person has many blessings, but anyone in hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.

In conclusion, it is very dangerous to fall into the trap of getting rich quickly since it:

will lost riches quickly too
will not be blessed
will not be satisfied with wealth or riches
will be punished, a warning for all Christian!

A famous saying notes that “The poorest person is not without money. It is the one without God”.

Psalm 1:1-3, 6

¹Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ²but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. ³He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. ⁶For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.