Great post. I often wonder just how God wants us to use money. Yes, giving to the church is always good. But what does He think about us investing money in hopes of future financial gain? Or buying a lottery ticket? I justify an occasional lottery purchase by stating that I will donate 80 percent of the winnings, while the remaining 20 percent is more than enough to take care of my family. But I still feel like I am greedy to even want to win the lottery.
The other day I read this Why Tony Robbins Changed My Mind On Charity by @thefinanceguy that had an interesting note:
As for my views on winning money, I wrote this article about Daily Fantasy Sports betting that you may find interesting.
As for earning and investing, there are tons of lessons on money in the Bible. Most notably, what comes to mind is The Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. As for lending, the The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35.
And here is a great sermon series on giving.
Agreed. Those parables show that God expects us to be good steward's of what He has given us. That can mean working to grow the value of those resources - as long as we remember they are His resources and are ready to expend them faithfully in His service.