The Connection Between Money and Pride

Money has the power to influence not only a person’s lifestyle but also their heart. While wealth itself is not sinful, it can easily lead to pride if a person begins to see financial success as a measure of their worth or superiority. When money increases, the temptation grows to rely on personal achievement instead of God, and this is where spiritual danger begins.

The Bible repeatedly warns about the link between wealth and pride. In Deuteronomy 8:13–14, God cautioned His people that when their silver and gold multiplied, their hearts might become lifted up and they would forget the Lord. Financial success can create the illusion that everything has been accomplished through personal strength and intelligence. Verse 18 reminds us of the truth: “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” Every opportunity, ability, and blessing ultimately comes from God.

Pride caused by wealth often leads to a false sense of security. Instead of trusting God, people begin to trust their money, status, or possessions. Proverbs 18:11 says, “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.” Wealth can make a person feel protected and independent, but earthly riches are temporary and uncertain.

Jesus addressed this danger in the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16–21. The man stored up great wealth and told himself he could relax and enjoy life for many years. But God called him a fool because he had focused on earthly riches while neglecting his spiritual life. Verse 21 concludes, “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Pride in wealth can blind a person to what truly matters.

Money can also create pride that separates people from others. A wealthy person may begin to look down on those with less, forgetting that all people are equal before God. Proverbs 22:2 teaches, “The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.” Financial status does not determine a person’s value in God’s eyes.

The danger of pride is that it leads to spiritual downfall. Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” When wealth feeds arrogance, it pushes humility, gratitude, and dependence on God out of the heart.

The solution is humility and stewardship. 1 Timothy 6:17 instructs those who are rich “not to be high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God.” Wealth should be seen as a tool to serve God and bless others, not as a reason for pride.

True greatness is not found in how much a person has, but in how humble their heart remains. When money is kept in its proper place and God remains the center, success becomes a blessing instead of a spiritual burden. A humble heart remembers that everything we have comes from God, and without Him, riches mean nothing.