Is money friend or foe to a sincere Christian trying to lead a Godly life? After all, who hasn’t given thought to this important Bible verse:
1 Timothy 6:10 -- "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Some mistakenly understand 1 Timothy 6:10 to mean that “money is the root of all evil” … but the verse clearly states that it’s not money, but LOVE of money that’s the problem. Money is simply a tool. Channeled properly, money can help care for loved ones and be used for good purposes. The problem starts when money becomes a tool for fulfilling selfish desires. To make matters worse, love of money becomes a hunger that can never be satisfied …
Ecclesiastes 5:10 -- "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity."
The Bible is, of course, a book filled with spiritual wisdom and knowledge. But it’s also a book that’s complete with practical advice on living a happier, healthier, more joyful life ...
Hebrews 13:5 -- "Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee."
What wonderful advice! BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. How many times have you desperately wanted something? When you get it, there’s a rush of excitement and pleasure. But that pleasure soon fades, and you soon start wanting the next thing. This desire for WANTING THE NEXT THING robs you of so much pleasure. It robs you of taking the time to appreciate what you ALREADY have. So, stop. Count your blessings. And appreciate. The book of Proverbs reminds us that what’s really important is your character and reputation.
Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favor (being respected) rather than silver and gold."
Don’t underestimate the value of your character. Don’t put money over your reputation. And character and your reputation has great value.
The Love Of Money Comes At A Horrible Price
So, it appears that money itself is not the problem. The problem is when money becomes more important to us than our relationship with God. The problem is when money becomes more important than loving our neighbor. As the gospel of Mark tells us, putting money before our relationship with God is a bad investment …
Mark 8:36 -- "For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?"
