Biblical View of Finances and Entertainment

Finances and Entertainment


Where we spend our finances and where we spend our time declares our worldview. A secular worldview spends its finances and time on self and pleasure. High-cost housing, food, clothing, and Hollywood entertainment fill a secular worldview with a motto of “Live well now!” Add to that the “what’s in it for me?” worldview and you have a formula for a society imploding in its own selfishness. [I love that phrase!] This entertainment/entitlement philosophy has obviously made its way into the Church, blurring the lines between secular and sacred. This ought not to be. To stay in balance here, I’ll quote author Craig Groeschel: “God isn’t against people having money and things, but He certainly hates when money and things have His people.”2 [One most often misquoted verse is “money is the root of all evil.” Money isn’t the root of all evil- the Bible says “the LOVE of money is the root…” Again, it’s vital to examine scripture closely.]

A Biblical worldview spends its finances wisely so as to share with the poor and spread the Gospel. Those who hold to a Biblical worldview spend their time on things that are worthy of honor before God. They set no wicked thing before their eyes. They do not waste precious time on fruitless entertainment but rather deepen their relationships with God, family, neighbors, and country thereby being “entertained” with real life. (See Colossians 3:1-4)

[It blows me away that, in even the financially strained economical state of our society, the entertainment world continues to be the largest growing self pleasure industry.  I know so many people that complain “I’ve got no money” and yet continue to spend near $100/month on their satellite TV, go out to eat numerous times a week, spend $100s/month on their souped-up phones and app packages, and yet “feel the pressure” of these “hard times.” It’s hard to have sympathy for those who refuse to help themselves and radically amputate that which enables their habitual irresponsiblity. Let’s be honest, we choose to work to maintain the lifestyle that we chose for ourselves. Granted there are the exceptional cases of necessities for a 2-income family like the need for health insurance, etc. though very few and far between.]

Biblical view of finances:

“And if thou draw out they soul dot the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall they light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday; And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy they soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isaiah 58: 10-11)

“Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good.” (Is 55:2)

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.” (I Timothy 6:17-19)

Biblical view of your time

“That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (I Peter 2:7)
Biblical view of entertainment:

“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me; I will not know a wicked person.” (Psalms 101:2-4)

Much like the aforementioned views on marriage, family, finances, and time, our final focus on education also will prove to be insightful as it relates to our worldview.