How much profit is enough?

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." 

Proverbs 14: 23

Profit to some people is a dirty word, and to others,  it is glorious. For most, the normal is to spend countless hours devoting our lives to achieving as much as possible and at the expense of everything else. There is no question, business cannot exist without profit. Yet, the consuming desire for profits has brought many a man down. 

Today, if you make too much profit, some have the idea you should be penalized, and for others, those who make the most profits are idolized. It is a confusing world. So, how should we think about profits? What weight should we give to profits in relation to the other responsibilities we have as Christians in the marketplace? What do we mean when we use the word profit? Is it mostly thought of as what is left over after the expense to produce a product or service? In short, is it money in the bank? These are all good questions, but where do we go to find the answers? 

The Bible has a lot to say about about money(profits). "No one can serve two masters.-------You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6: 24. "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." 1 Timothy 6: 10.  Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil," Proverbs 15: 16. " All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty," Proverbs 14: 23. " The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty, Proverbs 21: 5. In Luke 16, Jesus told the rich man to sell all he had and give to the poor.  In Proverbs 31, The lady of the house is commended because she is profitable in her trading.

Is it alright for a Christian to make a lot of money is one of the most often asked questions There again, there are some who feel guilty about it while others seem to gather it with humility. As we have seen, we can find a lot of talk about money and profits in the Bible. If we look back at the lives of such men as Abraham, Solomon, Joseph, and David, we find they were extremely wealthy men. The Bible definitely teaches through many parables that we should strive to maximize our profits. We are encouraged to seek it but are warned that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to inter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19: 24.

The greatest temptation of money is to trust it instead of God. If it is God's will for you to be wealthy, then you have a great responsibility, both in attitude and stewardship. We manage our hearts by being content in whatever situation God has given us. We manage to be good stewards by first giving it back to God, where it came from the beginning. " Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God." Ecclesiastes 5: 19