THE LOVE OF MONEY
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” I Timothy 6:10
There is much in the Word of God about our relationship with money, but this statement is as powerful, pointed, and profound as any. One reason this theme is so often mentioned is because of the tendency to live more for things that are material than for things that are spiritual. For instance, Jesus said, contrary to popular opinion, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
We live in a very materialistic society, and the message of the Bible has been corrupted and perverted on the subject of money. Modern preachers have promoted the error that gain and godliness are synonymous. In another very familiar passage, the parable of the sower, Christ said that “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).
Spiritual progress is regularly stifled by misplaced priorities and obsession with financial gain. The love of money can be extremely destructive and is described as the “root of all evil.” There is nothing wrong with money; all of us need it and use it. However, the danger comes when it begins to control us rather than our controlling it. The lust for material things is a snare. Because of this, personal debt is a very serious problem in our nation, and also in our churches. Most counselors will agree that the single issue that causes the most pressure on marriages and families is finances. Teenagers and young adults now deal with financial stress that would have been unthinkable a generation or two in the past.
We must realize that material things cannot bring satisfaction. Sincere believers fall into the snare of thinking that something newer, bigger, or better can make life more enjoyable, when often the exact opposite may be true. Of course, there is nothing wrong with possessions, as long as we realize that those things in themselves cannot fulfill. We have been called to a life of contentment, yet the lack of contentment is resulting in serious financial woes for God’s people. In reality, most financial problems are not necessarily the result of management problems, or even income deficiency. Rather, it is too often the evidence of a heart problem, the love of money.