In Proverbs 11, money is characterized as good because we receive good pay for good work (v. 18), and because money allows us to be generous, which enlarges our world and relationships with others (v. 24). But while money can be an asset, it can’t save us from the difficulties and distress of this life. It cannot save us from death (v. 4).

So if we get sick, money can pay our medical bills and ease financial stress, but it can’t fully solve all our healthcare questions and worries over what might happen next. If we experience a death in the family, money can pay for funeral expenses, but it can’t do away with our deep sense of loss and grief. Money can’t forge genuine relationships or keep us from feeling lonely. It alone can’t make us happy or healthy or wise.

With this perspective on both the blessings and limitations of money, Proverbs 11 offers practical advice on how to manage money well.

In your financial affairs, don’t use money to cheat people; act above reproach (v. 1). Don’t rush into deals with strangers to get rich quick; consider the issues and evaluate carefully (v. 15). Don’t drive a hard bargain for the sake of money; be fair (v. 26).

Such levelheaded advice for the ancient world remains sound advice for us today. To do good work, don’t defraud other people. To avoid falling for fraudulent schemes, don’t rush into deals with strangers. What Proverbs teaches lines up with fraud prevention advice today: If you’re approached by phone, online, or on the street, take the time to consider fully all the consequences and seek counsel from people you know and trust before agreeing to do anything.

The rest of the sayings in Proverbs 11 touch on a number of different subjects. “Good character is the best insurance” (v. 6), “a woman of gentle grace gets respect” (v. 16), “exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air” (v. 29). Since the book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, we might expect this jumping from subject to subject. Yet these various sayings are not entirely unrelated to one another, for all address what it means to live “a God-shaped life” (v. 28).

Living a God-shaped life means developing good character, living with “gentle grace” instead of “rough violence” (v. 16), respecting and caring for our families instead of abusing them, and much more. Each verse of Proverbs 11 offers another glimpse of this abundant, God-shaped life—and that includes the wise use of money.

So let us practice integrity in all our financial matters, with a healthy respect for both the blessings and limits of money. Let us be people of good character, living a God-shaped life in all we do.

“Money and a God-Shaped Life” by April Yamasaki, excerpted from The Message Women’s Devotional Bible © 2025 by The Navigators. Used by permission. All rights reserved.