The Love of Money

 

God and Money

Is making money your primary motivator in life? Is your entire effort devoted to the pursuit of money? What do you do every day?

"Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world." 1 John 2:15-16

God and Money are the two masters of the earth. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." 

You are either controlled and driven by God or by money in this world. Consider this: what consumes the majority of your thoughts? Is it how to labor efficiently for God's kingdom or how much money you need to make? People kill for monetary gain. Yes, the love of money, also known as greed, is the source of all evil. Money will never be enough to genuinely satisfy you. And all of your money could vanish in a second. That is how unreliable money is.

"Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17

Signs that you love money

  • Is your desire for money interfering with your desire to obey God?
  • Do you always seek out opportunities that will benefit you financially, regardless of how they will affect others?
  • When it comes to helping others, are you more concerned with what the cost will be than with being moved by compassion?
"For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10

Leave a legacy of integrity

Your greatest legacy will be your integrity, which will be passed down from generation to generation. Everything else you do is lost. When you die, your money will be shared among your family members and spent. Your employment will be assigned to someone else. All of the trophies you've earned will be thrown in the garbage and hauled to the dump. However, your character will be transferred into the lives of those around you, and then into the lives of future generations. It is an enduring legacy.

“A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone”. Proverbs 20:7

Does money fully satisfy?

We all have to spend money, but if you believe that being promoted, earning more, saving more, or spending more will make you happy, you are tragically mistaken. Our nature as humans is to be greedy, desiring more money and more possessions. Only God, who provides abundantly, can make us completely satisfied and content. Only God can fill the void in our hearts that material possessions cannot. Remember that everything on Earth is fleeting. They are only here today and will be gone tomorrow. Shouldn't we then concentrate our efforts on achieving what is permanent and cannot be taken away?

In the Bible, God has already revealed His will and direction for your life. He is explicit that we should focus on seeking God and that everything else will be provided for us. Everything that is important to us will be given to us in accordance with God's will for our lives. He will give us what we require, not what we crave. He understands exactly what we need.

Give to God

Remember to thank the Lord when he blesses you. Help the poor, orphans, and widows. Give generously and resist the temptation to become greedy. Resist the urge to accumulate obscene riches.  God owns the world and everything in it, including your life and everything God has gifted you with. You can lose it all in one heartbeat, and without Christ, what a waste of life that would be.

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst with wine." Proverbs 3:9-10

Lastly, do not judge yourself by other people's accolades, or what others say about you. Judge yourself by how well you have developed and are using your God given gifts.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

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