{"id":19572,"date":"2026-02-23T02:14:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T02:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19572"},"modified":"2026-02-23T02:14:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T02:14:19","slug":"why-do-i-feel-guilty-for-being-blessed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=19572","title":{"rendered":"Why do I feel guilty for being blessed?"},"content":{"rendered":"


By Chuck Bentley<\/span><\/span>, CP Guest Contributor Friday, February 20, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Chuck,<\/em><\/p>\n

Is it wrong to enjoy wealth or nice things? I feel guilty for how the Lord has blessed us. <\/em><\/p>\n

Counting My Blessings<\/em><\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Counting My Blessings,<\/p>\n

No, it is not wrong to have nice things; however, let\u2019s examine two false teachings about money.<\/p>\n

One is the prosperity gospel<\/em>, which says we can demand God to make us materially rich and that wealth is a sign of His favor in our lives. The other is the poverty gospel,<\/em> which deems money to be evil, assumes the rich must be greedy, and believes electing poverty makes one more righteous in God\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

Remember, we are all unrighteous and only made righteous as a gift of Christ\u2019s righteousness through faith in Him; it is not earned by our works.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Bible teaches us that everything belongs to the Lord; all that we have is not just a blessing but also a responsibility as His stewards. 1 Corinthians 4:2 declares that \u201cstewards must be found faithful.\u201d So often, Christians thank God for their abundance but disregard their responsibility to use their resources as faithful stewards of temporary riches.<\/p>\n

When we think money is ours, we usually ask ourselves, \u201cHow much of my money should I give?\u201d The better question is, \u201cHow much of God\u2019s money should I spend on my lifestyle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Faithful stewardship <\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to prayerfully determine a balanced financial position and be cautious against advisors who create rules out of principles. We need to examine our own hearts before the Lord and His Word: Are we accumulating too much? Are we protecting rather than growing in generosity? How much should we leave our children? How much should we invest or hold for retirement?<\/p>\n

Answers vary for every family, and they need to be prayed over and discussed with wise, godly counselors.<\/p>\n

How much is enough? <\/strong><\/p>\n

We have enough when we can \u201cdo good,\u00a0be rich in good works, be generous and\u00a0ready to share, thus\u00a0storing up treasure for ourselves as a good foundation for the future, so that we may\u00a0take hold of\u00a0that which is truly life\u201d (1 Timothy 6:18\u201319 ESV paraphrased).<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s aspire to live this way! We\u2019re to work and provide for our loved ones while keeping a humble dependence on God. Affluence presents a great threat to our walk with the Lord. For \u201cWhere your treasure is, there your heart will also be\u201d (Matthew 6:21 ESV).<\/p>\n

We should not depend on the government, the church, or others when we have the ability to work and provide for ourselves or the opportunity to advance our education. Laziness is unacceptable. We should also not feel guilty when our work has financial rewards.<\/p>\n

Decisions about future provision vary according to our circumstances. God\u2019s plan for our lives will determine necessary lifestyle adjustments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At a minimum, we should implement plans to save for upcoming needs and emergencies. Then we can focus on increasing our generosity, long-term savings, and investing.<\/p>\n

Wealth carries risk<\/strong><\/p>\n

God warned Israel of the risk in Deuteronomy 8: \u201cWhen you have eaten and are satisfied \u2026 when your silver and gold increase \u2026 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God\u201d (Deuteronomy 8:10\u201314 NIV).<\/p>\n

Their danger wasn\u2019t poverty; it was prosperity. Affluence can quietly shift our dependence. When resources increase, it\u2019s easy to trust salaries and savings accounts more than our Provider.<\/p>\n

Jesus said in Luke 12:15, \u201cWatch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions\u201d (NIV). Wealth offers security, but unless accompanied by surrender, it can lead to self-sufficiency and become an enemy of faithful stewardship.<\/p>\n

Wealth is not evil. It\u2019s a tool. But tools can build \u2014 or they can distract.<\/p>\n

If God has entrusted you with much, guard your heart. Practice gratitude daily. Work joyfully, give sacrificially, and invest in what lasts forever.<\/p>\n

The greatest threat of affluence isn\u2019t losing money; it\u2019s losing dependence on God.<\/p>\n

Be grateful for what you have <\/strong><\/p>\n

The truth is, most Americans are rich beyond comparison when viewed in the context of economic history. But too often, we only compare ourselves with what our friends have. If they buy a new car, we may be tempted to do likewise. Or we can rejoice with them while being grateful that our vehicle still works and that we can help others afford a dependable vehicle in their need.<\/p>\n

Paul spoke with the Ephesian elders, saying,<\/p>\n

\u201cI coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, \u2018It is more blessed to give than to receive\u2019\u201d (Acts 6:33\u201335 ESV).<\/p>\n

Paul wrote to the Philippians, \u201cI have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me\u201d (Philippians 4:11\u201313 ESV).<\/p>\n

Time here is short, but eternity is long<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDo 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\u201d (Matthew 6:19\u201321 ESV).<\/p>\n

I refer you to some of my friends, the Hobelmann brothers, who set a financial finish line:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.finishlinepledge.com. Prayerfully consider if the Lord is leading you to do likewise.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019ve been part of Crown for years or are just discovering us, we\u2019d love for you to be part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration. For five decades, Crown has taught biblical stewardship principles that transform finances, strengthen families, and deepen faith. Lives have been changed. Communities have been empowered. Purpose has been rediscovered. And we\u2019re just getting started!<\/em><\/p>\n

Chuck Bentley is CEO of\u00a0Crown Financial Ministries, a global Christian\u00a0ministry, founded by the late Larry Burkett. He is the host of a daily radio broadcast,\u00a0My MoneyLife, featured on more than 1,000 Christian Music and Talk stations in the U.S., and author of his most recent book,\u00a0Economic Evidence for God?. Be sure to\u00a0follow Crown on Facebook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chuck Bentley, CP Guest Contributor Friday, February 20, 2026 Dear Chuck, Is it wrong to enjoy wealth or nice things? I feel guilty for how the Lord has blessed us. Counting My Blessings Getty Images Dear Counting My Blessings, No, it is not wrong to have nice things; however, let\u2019s examine two false teachings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[6188,864,3831],"class_list":["post-19572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-living","tag-blessed","tag-feel","tag-guilty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}