wealth Archives - Bare Wealth Advisors

by Ron Bare

The idea of increasing wealth can feel uncomfortable or even taboo in many Christian circles – often raising questions about intent, motive, and faith. While conversations about this topic can feel challenging, I invite you to join me in exploring a new perspective today, one that’s deeply rooted in Scripture.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story of three servants entrusted with their master’s resources. The first two servants multiplied what was given to them, and the third servant buried his out of fear. The master praised the first two servants and condemned the third. The difference? Their stewardship of the wealth that was entrusted to them.

Throughout the Bible, we see an ongoing invitation to growth – in faith, love, generosity, influence, and sometimes in wealth. This is not about amassing wealth, but rather about faithful stewardship of the resources God has given to us. Like the third servant, we can become scared to pursue growth, fearing failure or loss. Yet we know that fear is not from God and it should not hold us back from pursuing growth.

Why is it important to consider growing, or increasing, our wealth? Ultimately, we know and trust that God is the owner of all that we have. When done with the right motive, seeking financial growth can be an act of worship as we continue to trust in Him for each of our needs. This principle is clear in Matthew 25 – the master entrusts bags of gold to the servants. The servants did not find the bags of gold on their own; they were given them. What they did with these bags of gold was a reflection of their relationship with their master.

Still, we know this topic can carry a stigma, and many churches shy away from teaching this. Why? The idea of growing wealth can appear similar to the prosperity gospel, the teaching that financial blessing will find you if you are faithful to God or have “enough” faith. The prosperity gospel misrepresents both God’s heart and our calling. Rather, our belief is that God has entrusted us each with specific blessings, and that someday, He will ask for an account of our stewardship. In light of this, we believe stewarding these resources well, including pursuing an increase, can be honoring to God.

But don’t forget the point – this isn’t about chasing wealth. In Psalm 24:1, we see that God is the owner of all things. In Psalm 8 and Genesis 1-2, we learn that though God has created everything, He has put us in charge of His creation. He has asked us to manage and grow the things He has made! If you are blessed to see an increase, what you do with that increase can be a beautiful reflection of your relationship with God. When we can combine this increase with a content heart, a generous spirit, and a purposeful plan, we can impact the Kingdom of God for good. This principle of bringing an increase to our wealth, and all that we have, is a thread that runs throughout Scripture. That’s why our impact statement here at Bare talks about how “intentional stewardship and extravagant generosity can change the world for the glory of God.” How can you change the world through stewardship and generosity? We encourage you to consider how pursuing growth might fit into your story, not for your sake, but for God’s glory.

by Ron Bare

“Through intentional stewardship and extravagant giving, Bare Wealth Advisors help generous people shift the culture and change the world for the glory of God.”

As we have been writing about in our latest series of blogs and articles, our vision is to not only help you plan strategically with your finances, but our main desire is to help you maximize your impact (with the financial capital you are stewarding) for the next generation and for the good you desire to have on this earth. The quote that begins this blog is what we are calling our “impact statement.” We have seen and believe that intentional money management and generosity are a key element to making the impact we desire.

Throughout history there have been individuals that God has used to shift culture for the glory of God. Billy Graham, William Wilberforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King all come to mind as individuals that used their time, talent and treasure to make a difference in our world. To a great extent, we are benefactors of their efforts. You can read more about some of these individuals in Eric Metaxas Books; Seven Men and Seven Women.

Often as you look behind the names mentioned above you can find others who have supported these movements with their gifts – including financial gifts. I think of William Tyndale, responsible for translating the Bible into English (putting his life on the line!) and how this may never have happened without Humphrey Monmouth who financially backed the endeavor. I also think of John Newton, responsible for writing many hymns including “Amazing Grace”, who also mentored William Wilberforce to use his gifting’s in politics rather than go into “ministry.” Wilberforce went on to help lead the abolishment of the English slave trade. Without John Thornton’s financial support from his successful business enterprises we may not know of the name John Newton or William Wilberforce – that jolts me! You can read more about these stories in John Rinehart’s book, “Gospel Patrons.”

These stories inspire us to think about our impact. We may not be Billy Graham, William Wilberforce or Mother Theresa – however what if we are those who are to support and financially fund the movements in 2023 that will shape the next 50 – 100 years of history? There has never been a more prosperous time in history, and with that in mind, we must ask ourselves – what does God want me to do with his resources (that He has entrusted to us) to make an impact in our culture today?

We have a great opportunity. Lets expand our vision of what God may want to do through our stewardship and generosity so we can shift the culture and change the world for the glory of God. William Wilberforce had a dream to end the slave trade – as a result of him fulfilling this calling, generations have been changed, culture has shifted and God has been glorified. We can do the same! Our desire at Bare Wealth Advisors is to help you leave this kind of impact!

Tag: wealth

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