Financial expert Dave Ramsey's take on religion, money and millionares.  

I’m the pastor of a Midwest church. Do you think it’s morally okay for someone in my position to want to become a millionaire, as long as the desire isn’t motivated by greed?

-- Mike

Dave says: Sure it’s okay. But under one condition.

A pastor or any other Christian should understand that they don’t really own anything. When it comes right down to it, we’re just asset managers for God.
And if you understand this deep down in your soul, it will change how you view and handle money. 

If you read the Bible, you’ll see that many patriarchs, like Abraham, Solomon and David were extremely wealthy -- even by today’s standards. Some people argue that Jesus didn’t walk around with lots of possessions. But he was God in human form, so he owned it all anyway!

People who say you can’t be wealthy, and be consistent with Christian beliefs just don’t understand the Bible. If you can manage God’s money with wisdom and grace rather than greed – whether it’s $100 or $1,000,000 -- I think you’re okay.

A little about Dave:

At 26, he had a net worth of a little over a million dollars. Life couldn't be more perfect. And then he lost it all, thanks to debt. That's when Dave went on a quest to find out how money really works, how he could get control of it, and how he could have confidence in handling it. On our pages, Dave will guide readers on all things related to money! 

For more financial advice plus a special offer for our readers, visit www.davesays.org. This column is part of a series of columns by Dave, exclusively for you, dear readers!

Dave's earlier columns:


Who holds the key to your house?
Share a house, save on costs?