Choosing Wisdom: Transforming Our Relationship with Money

Today, we explored the deep and often challenging topic of our relationship with money and possessions, using Proverbs 9 as a metaphorical backdrop. In this passage, wisdom and folly are personified as two women, each calling out to us, offering different paths. One offers fulfillment, rest, and satisfaction; the other, though alluring, leads to emptiness and entrapment. This imagery is strikingly relevant to how we navigate the world’s messages about money. Our culture constantly bombards us with calls to scarcity, consumerism, and individualism—each promising happiness but often delivering anxiety, dissatisfaction, and isolation.

We considered how the world’s narrative of scarcity—believing there’s never enough—drives fear and hoarding, while consumerism tells us that happiness is found in acquiring more. Individualism, meanwhile, encourages us to focus inward, prioritizing our own needs above others. These are the voices of folly, and they are deeply embedded in our economic systems and personal habits.

Yet, the wisdom of God offers a radically different way. It begins with the fear of the Lord—a deep trust in God as our provider and sustainer. This trust frees us from anxiety and opens us to three transformative practices: generosity, simplicity, and hospitality. Generosity reflects God’s own nature and reminds us that everything we have belongs to Him. Simplicity helps us remember that this life is temporary, and our true home is with God; it invites us to invest in what is eternal rather than what is fleeting. Hospitality, finally, is a powerful antidote to isolation and financial distress, as it builds community and offers hope to those in need.

The invitation is to examine which voice we are listening to—wisdom or folly—and to courageously choose the path that leads to true contentment and joy. This is not just about changing our financial habits, but about reorienting our hearts and lives around God’s abundant provision and love, so that we might become a blessing to others.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The world’s narrative of scarcity, consumerism, and individualism is pervasive and often goes unchallenged in our lives. Like fish unaware of the water they swim in, we can be shaped by these cultural forces without realizing it. Recognizing these influences is the first step toward living differently, in line with God’s wisdom. [09:28]
• 2. Generosity is not about meeting God’s needs—He owns everything—but about reminding ourselves that all we have is His. Giving is a spiritual practice that declares our trust in God as provider and sets us free from anxiety and self-reliance. It is a habit that forms our hearts and aligns us with God’s character. [16:19]
• 3. Simplicity is a countercultural choice that acknowledges the brevity of life and the reality of our eternal home. By living simply and resisting the urge to accumulate, we free ourselves to invest in what truly matters—God’s kingdom and the well-being of others. This perspective shifts our focus from temporary comfort to lasting significance. [21:16]
• 4. Hospitality is a powerful, practical expression of God’s love that addresses not just material needs but the deep human need for community. Research shows that social cohesion—genuine relationships and support—has the greatest impact on financial well-being. The church, as a community of hospitality, can offer hope and transformation in ways no other institution can. [22:23]
• 5. The call to follow wisdom over folly is ultimately a call to trust God and live for others. It means saying no to the anxious striving of our culture and yes to a life marked by generosity, simplicity, and hospitality. This path may be harder, but it leads to true joy, contentment, and the fulfillment that only God can give. [26:01]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:00] - Gratitude and Introductions
• [03:59] - Setting the Stage: Money and Reflection
• [06:05] - Proverbs 9: Wisdom vs. Folly
• [08:03] - The Bible’s Emphasis on Money
• [09:28] - Cultural Voices: Scarcity, Consumerism, Individualism
• [12:33] - The Impact of Individualism
• [13:23] - The Way of Wisdom: Practices, Not Just Ideas
• [14:07] - God’s Generosity and Our Response
• [16:19] - Generosity as Spiritual Practice
• [17:21] - Tithing, Law, and the Principle of Generosity
• [18:42] - Practical Steps: Budgeting and Giving
• [19:48] - Simplicity: Living as Pilgrims
• [21:16] - The Hotel Mentality: Life as a Passing Mist
• [22:23] - Hospitality and the Power of Community
• [24:51] - Money Mentoring as Community Hospitality
• [26:01] - Choosing Wisdom: The Invitation
• [28:11] - Closing and Prayer

Bible Reading

Proverbs 9:1-18 (ESV) — > Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” ... The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” ... But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Psalm 50:10-12 (ESV) — > For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.”

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV) — > “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Observation Questions

1. In Proverbs 9, what are the main differences between the invitations of Wisdom and Folly? What do they each offer, and what is the outcome for those who follow them? [06:05]
2. According to Psalm 50, what does God say about ownership of the world’s resources? Why is this important for our understanding of generosity? [15:06]
3. In Matthew 6:19-21, what does Jesus say about where we should store our treasures? What reasons does he give for this instruction?
4. The sermon described three cultural voices: scarcity, consumerism, and individualism. What are some examples of how these show up in everyday life? [09:28]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Proverbs uses the image of two women calling out to travelers? What does this say about the choices we face with money and possessions? [06:05]
2. The sermon says that generosity is not about meeting God’s needs, but about reminding ourselves that everything we have belongs to Him. How does this perspective challenge or affirm your current view of giving? [15:06]
3. How does living with a “hotel mentality”—seeing life as temporary and ourselves as just passing through—change the way we approach our possessions and spending? [21:16]
4. The sermon claims that hospitality is a powerful antidote to isolation and financial distress. Why might community and relationships be so important for financial well-being? [22:23]

Application Questions

1. The sermon described the world’s narrative of scarcity, consumerism, and individualism as “the water we swim in.” Can you identify a recent situation where you noticed one of these voices influencing your decisions or feelings about money? What would it look like to respond differently next time? [09:28]
2. Generosity is described as a spiritual practice that forms our hearts and sets us free from anxiety. What is one practical step you could take this month to grow in generosity? Is there a specific person, cause, or need you feel prompted to give to? [16:19]
3. The idea of simplicity is about living with less so we can invest in what truly matters. Is there an area of your life where you feel called to simplify? What is one thing you could let go of or say “no” to in order to say “yes” to something more meaningful? [21:16]
4. Hospitality is more than just having people over for a meal—it’s about building community and offering hope. Who is someone in your life (maybe outside your usual circle) you could invite into your home or include in your community this month? What might hold you back, and how could you take a first step? [22:23]
5. The sermon challenged us to examine which voice we are listening to—wisdom or folly. What is one area of your financial life where you sense God inviting you to trust Him more deeply? What would it look like to take a step of faith in that area? [26:01]
6. The speaker mentioned the importance of having a budget as a tool for generosity. Do you have a budget? If not, what’s one small step you could take this week to start tracking your income and spending? If you do, how might you adjust it to reflect your values of generosity, simplicity, and hospitality? [18:42]
7. The sermon ended with a prayer that the church would be a home for the lonely, lost, and broken. How can you personally contribute to making our church a place of welcome and hope for those in need? [28:11]