For the Love of Money…

I used to hear this growing up, being said in place of using profanity, but in a manner of speaking, we are still spewing profanity by simply putting the words “love” and “money” in the same sentence.  The dreams of great wealth can overcome our hopes of eternal life and take over our lives completely.  I’m sure you have been tempted to chase after your dreams of being wealthy, only to realize that one can never be satisfied because money does not do that.  Money will never be able to replace God, nor will it make us happy and satisfied.  As children of our God, we are not wired to love money.  We are wired to love our God, to worship our Holy Father, not the almighty dollar.  The Apostle Paul reminds his friend Timothy of this and other perils associated with the desire surrounding the dollar. 

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”  1Timothy 6:6-9(NIV) Paul was trying to encourage his brother in Christ to be content, to be happy with what he possessed.  In my opinion, we would all benefit from this contentment, this satisfaction with what we have, versus loving what everyone else seems to have.  We all are guilty of these feelings of resentment and envy when we consider all the riches of our neighbor.  Paul encourages Timothy to avoid this at all costs, no pun intended. 

“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.”  1Timothy 6:10(NIV)  Maybe this explains why we feel like we are “stabbed in the back” when we find ourselves on the short end of someone’s newfound wealth.  We often will resort to desperate measures just to have what everyone else has.  We will sell our souls to have the latest and greatest gadget, car, house or other worldly good.  This is why Paul calls it the “root of all evil.” 

When we try to change our greedy ways, particular towards our neighbor, we realize it’s going to be a battle.  God wants to help us “fight the good fight” because that’s what it is.  We are about to do battle with the world because we want nothing of its riches.  “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith.”  1Timothy 6:11-12(NIV)

Paul goes further to instruct us to “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” 1Timothy 6:17(NIV)  We need to take note of these instructions and begin living a life that has hope in our God, and not the almighty dollar. 

Our society needs to rethink its love of money and focus minds on loving our God. 

 

“in the world, not of the world”