Money has a remarkable ability to shape our emotions. In a single week, it can make us anxious, fearful, generous, or joyful. But Scripture reminds us that money—despite the power we often assign to it—cannot ultimately provide what we most want.
On today’s episode of Faith & Finance, we spoke with Dr. Russell James III, the CH Foundation Chair of Personal Financial Planning and Charitable Giving at Texas Tech University and author of A Christian’s Guide to Joyful Wealth Management.
He helped us explore a foundational question: If money cannot give us security or control, what is it actually for?
The One Thing Money Can’t Do
Dr. James begins where the Apostle Paul begins—in 1 Timothy 6. Paul reminds believers of a simple but transformative reality: we cannot take wealth with us when we die.
“Money is temporary,” Dr. James explained. “Eventually, every one of us will lose it. The only real question is how.”
That truth reframes everything about financial decision-making. If wealth cannot follow us beyond this life, then we are not owners in the ultimate sense—we are stewards. And that reality isn’t merely a theological concept; it’s also biological. Eventually, every dollar we possess will pass to someone else.
Thinking about money this way changes the conversation. Instead of asking, “How can I keep this?” we begin asking, “How should I use what God has entrusted to me while I have it?”
The Four Ways People Manage Wealth
According to Dr. James, Scripture points to four common approaches to handling wealth:
Spending wealth recklessly in pursuit of pleasure—like Solomon’s experiments in Ecclesiastes or the prodigal son in Luke 15.
Hoarding wealth, protecting it carefully but never truly using it.
Working relentlessly to accumulate more and more wealth, even when basic needs are already met.
Receiving God’s provision with gratitude and using it for good.
The first three approaches share a common problem: they ultimately lead to the same outcome—dying with unused or misused wealth.
The fourth option—enjoyment—points us toward something better.
The Hidden Role of Fear in Our Finances
One of the most powerful forces shaping financial behavior is fear.
Dr. James noted that many stewardship conversations focus on avoiding overspending. While that’s important, Jesus often warned about the opposite problem—hoarding wealth out of fear.
In both the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11–27), the servant who buried what he was given offered the same explanation: “I was afraid.”
Fear narrows our focus to worst-case scenarios. It tempts us to seek control through accumulation rather than trusting God as our provider.
And yet Scripture reminds us that wealth cannot offer the control we hope for. It is always uncertain and ultimately temporary.
The Biblical Vision of Enjoyment
One of the most surprising teachings in Scripture is that God intends us to enjoy what He provides.
In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul writes that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” But biblical enjoyment is not indulgence.
Dr. James explained that true enjoyment comes when we put resources to work for good purposes. In the very next verse, Paul describes what that looks like:
“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” —1 Timothy 6:18
In other words, enjoyment is found
