Wealth as Flourishing
Reclaiming What Was Lost
Somewhere along the way, the word wealth got hijacked.
Financial institutions narrowed it down to money — lots of it.
But the original meaning of wealth is far wider, deeper, and more beautiful.
It comes from an old English word weal — meaning well-being. To be “wealthy” once meant to be well, to flourish.
In God’s language, wealth is not what you have — it’s who you are becoming in Him and what kind of life overflows from that place.
True wealth is shalom: wholeness, harmony, and sufficiency rooted in love.
Biblical Wealth: Flourishing in Every Dimension
In Hebrew, ʿōsher (עֹשֶׁר) — often translated “wealth” — carries the sense of flourishing or fullness.
In Greek, ploutos (πλοῦτος) and perissos (περισσός) describe an overflowing abundance that exceeds measure.
This is the same word Jesus used when He said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10
Jesus wasn’t talking about bigger barns or balance sheets.
He was revealing the kind of life that flourishes — body, soul, mind, and spirit — life that abides in Him and bears fruit for others.
From Riches to Relationship
When Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24),
He wasn’t condemning money — He was liberating hearts.
He redefined wealth not as possession but as participation— life in the Kingdom where generosity replaces grasping and trust replaces anxiety.
Paul later echoed this truth: “God is able to make all grace abound to you… so that you may abound in every good work.” — 2 Corinthians 9:8
Abundance, in Paul’s view, is not accumulation but capacity — the grace to give, to love, to create, to flourish for the sake of others.
Flourishing Beyond Finance
Wealth, biblically understood, includes every form of well-being:
Spiritual wealth — life rooted in Christ, bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
Relational wealth — generosity, forgiveness, belonging.
Emotional wealth — peace that surpasses understanding.
Physical wealth — health, rest, stewardship of body and creation.
Communal wealth — justice, compassion, and shared flourishing.
“They are like trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season.” — Psalm 1:3
The truly wealthy life draws from Living Water and bears fruit that blesses others.
Reflection
Where do you see flourishing in your life right now — and where do you sense God inviting more?
What if true wealth is not about what you store, but what flows through you?
What would it look like to measure success by peace, generosity, and love — rather than possessions?
Prayer
Father, teach me to see wealth as You see it. Free me from the smallness of striving for more and open my eyes to the fullness already given in Christ. May my life flourish like a tree by Your streams — rooted in grace, rich in love, and fruitful for Your glory. Amen.