Responsibilities toward others

God's Word offers many other financial principles and truths we should study and follow to gain wisdom and guidance from God's mind.

One sound bit of advice is to pay your taxes. Romans 13:1-7 teaches we should comply with governmental tax requirements. Some wrongly think they are above and exempt from government authority, but this is not what the Bible teaches (except in cases where God's laws conflict with man's; Acts 5:29).

Failure to pay taxes can result in severe penalties because it is against the law of the land. Jesus Himself told us to pay taxes but not neglect what we owe toGod (Matthew 22:17-21). We should pay first that which belongs to God as well as that which is required by the government.

The apostle Paul teaches that we should be willing and generous in contributing to the needs of others (2 Corinthians 9:6-15). He amplifies this by explaining that we should work so we "may have something to give him who has need" (Ephesians 4:28).