Timothy 6:10 (New International Version)
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Money is not the root of all evil. No where in the bible does it say this. The next time someone misquotes the word, be sure to point them to the verse above, penned by the Apostle Paul.
What the bible does say repeatedly is that we are not to love money. The scripture above clearly makes the point that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. We don’t have to look far in our society to know that this is true. Insurance scams, murder, drugs, prostitution, divorce, child pornography, the current collapse of the economy – all are connected in some way to the love of money.
You might be interested to know that the bible mentions money more often than love or faith. I suspect because it is one of the biggest contenders for God’s spot in our hearts. God is not threatened by this, but we should be. Money is amoral. Apart from anything it is neither good nor evil. Whatever evil or good money is used for is contingent upon the heart of the one who uses it. Money, in and of itself is a tool. Certainly it makes life more convenient. But obtaining it is not the point of living. Foolish people treat you better when you have more of it. But possession of it or lack thereof does not define you, unless you let it. What is your attitude toward money? Do you use it or does it pimp you? If you love money, consider the words of a very wise man who was arguably the richest man of his day. King Solomon wrote:
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
Jesus of Nazereth spoke:”No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24
I know many Christians behave as though money is this evil thing and only the poor are noble. On the other hand, we have all seen pastors who preach a prosperity gospel, claiming that God wants every believer driving a Bentley. To both I say “Whatever.” Believers are called to be responsible with money, to use it as God directs. We must understand that God is the source of all our resources, and we are to honor him accordingly. How are you to do that? What should that look like in your life? Ahhh! Now there’s the lick, isn’t it? You must settle that between you and the Holy Spirit. Work it out with your God. You can bet he’s got a plan for the wealth he distributes through you. The questions is, are you responsible enough to handle it?
Keep in mind that it is just as wrong to abhor money and those who have it as it is to worship either one. When we keep God in his proper place as the sole object of our love and devotion, and put money in its proper place as a tool, we experience more peace and excellent living than we can imagine. Enjoy your week, Family!
