More, newer, better – our everyday lives are full of temptations to buy. The Bible is not against possessions, but it warns us strongly against attaching our hearts to them. Here you will find 18 Bible verses about materialism and a simple, contented life.
What the heart clings to
Jesus on possessions and wealth.
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What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what can a man give to save his soul?
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And he said to them: Take heed and beware of greed; for no one can live by possessing many things.
Luke 12:15GreedPossessions
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And he told them a parable and said: There was a rich man whose land had yielded abundantly. And he thought to himself and said: What shall I do? I have no one to inherit my crops. So he said: I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my crops and possessions in them. And I will say to myself: You, my soul, you have plenty of goods for many years; rest, eat, drink and be merry! But God said to him: You fool! This night your soul will be demanded of you, and what you have prepared, whose will it be? So it is with anyone who stores up treasures for themselves but is not rich toward God.
Luke 12:16-21
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Do not store up treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21PossessionsContentment
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No one can serve two masters: either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
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And Jesus looked at him and loved him and said to him: You are lacking one thing. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me, and take up your cross. But he became angry about this and went away sadly, for he had many possessions.
Mark 10:21-22
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But when Jesus saw that he became sad, he said: How hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:24-25
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Do not love the world or anything in the world. For whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in them. For everything that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away with its desires, but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
1 John 2:15-17The world
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Whoever loves money will never have enough, and whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with what they have. This too is futile.
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And I gave them everything my eyes desired, and I did not deny my heart any pleasure, that it might rejoice in all my labor; and this I considered to be my portion of all my labor. But when I surveyed all my works, which my hands had made, and all the toil I had endured, behold, all was vanity and chasing after the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
Being content
Verses about a contented, simple life.
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But great is the one who is godly and is content. For we brought nothing into the world, and we shall take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, let us be content.
1 Timothy 6:6-8Contentment
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Let your conduct be without greed; and be content with what you have, for he said, “I will neither leave you nor forsake you.”
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I do not say this because of lack; for I have learned to be content with what I have. I can be lowly or I can be highly exalted; I am skilled in all things, whether in plenty or in hunger, whether in abundance or in want.
Philippians 4:11-12ContentmentEnvy
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Keep idols and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or wealth; give me only enough food to eat. If I am well fed, let me deny myself and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or if I am very poor, let me steal and misuse the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8-9Money
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Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with trouble.
Proverbs 15:16Contentment
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The little that the righteous has is better than the great wealth of many wicked people.
Psalm 37:16Contentment
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Therefore do not worry and say, “What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear?” For such things do the Gentiles pursue. But your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.
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Command the rich of this world not to be proud or to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on the living God, who richly provides everything for our enjoyment; to do good, to be rich in good works, to give generously, to be helpful, and to store up treasures, preparing themselves well for the future, so that they may take hold of the true life.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Bible texts: Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), carefully adapted to modern spelling.
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What the Bible says about possessions
The Bible does not condemn possessions. Abraham, Job, and Lydia were wealthy, and God blesses with goods. But it warns against the moment when possessions become the focus of life. “Take heed and beware of greed; for no one can live by possessing many things” (Luke 12:15). Jesus tells the story of the farmer who enlarges his barns to finally rest – and dies that very night. And he asks the crucial question: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
The secret of contentment
Paul writes from prison that he has learned “to be content with what I have” (Philippians 4:11). Contentment can therefore be learned. “But great is the one who is godly and is content” (1 Timothy 6:6). A simple life is not only good for the soul, but also for creation and for people who suffer from the consequences of overconsumption. Learn more from Bible verses about contentment, Bible verses about money, and Bible verses about true treasures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about materialism?
The Bible warns against attaching our hearts to possessions (Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12:15) and invites us to contentment and generosity (1 Timothy 6:6-8.17-19).
Where does it say, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world”?
In Matthew 16:26, similarly in Mark 8:36 and Luke 9:25.
