The Love of Money

1 Timothy 6:10 KJV 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.

Now, before you go into defense mode please hear me out! Money in itself can be a good thing if used for the building up of God's kingdom; and I do believe that God wants the best for His children. I believe He truly enjoys seeing His children happy and content leading good lives. Although those who rely on their money for their security instead of relying on God find themselves sliding down a very slippery slope. When I say I believe God wants the "best" for his children we should first have an understanding of what the "best" is.

Matthew 16:26 KJV For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

What is "best" in God's eyes is for his children to have eternal life with Him in heaven and all the treasures He has made for us there. While we spend our time thinking about the pleasures this life has to offer us God sees this short life we have here as but a vapor that is here one minute and gone the next. This is our training ground where we are being groomed to become sons and daughters of God. To pass the test we must learn to store up our treasure in heaven so that is where our hearts will be, for it is your heart that God searches and desires.

I also believe suffering is necessary if we are to be conformed into the likeness of Christ. Without some suffering we could never grow and learn what it is to be a child of God. Do we enjoy and look forward to suffering? Of course not! When we look back, after the suffering is over, and see how God has brought about what is best for us and how our suffering has brought glory to Him our suffering begins to make sense. Some of us may not see how our suffering brought glory to God until we join Him in heaven. Satan could not see how the suffering of Jesus would bring glory to God until after Jesus died or he never would have allowed the King of Glory to be crucified. God's ways are as far above us as the earth is from the heavens. It's our faith and trust in Him that allows His great grace to flow over and in us.

Let me give you a personal example from my own life. Almost five years ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a particularly aggressive cancer and my only option was to have the lung removed before the cancer could spread to other organs. I of course assumed my life was over and faced my own mortality (not very well I might add.)

To make a long story short I had gotten away from walking with God and put myself completely into the service business I had started with gaining riches and financial security my only goals. God had another plan for my life. The doctors removed my right lung which left me unable to do anything strenuous for over two minutes at a time. Because the cancer was so aggressive the doctors said I probably only had a year to live but like I said God had another plan for my life. I turned to Him, cried out for His mercy and rededicated my life to Him.

I turned the business over to my wife and found out God had blessed me with a talent I did not know I had. My first book was published and released in July 2006; my second book will be released this summer. I've started a web-site http://www.walk-by-faith.com writing devotionals and stories God leads me to write and I have never been more content and happy than in any of my sixty years on this earth. Do I still grieve the loss of the lung? You bet I do, but it is my faith and trust of God that has seen me through and I even praise Him for doing what it took to bring me back into a closer relationship with Him.

Let's get back to what the scriptures have to say:
Proverbs 28:20 KJV A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 KJV ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ⁹But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰For 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.

The problem of course is that we are human and inherently sinful; the more money we have the less we need God. We start relying on our riches to take care of our problems instead of our Father. His love for us is so great He wants to be the one we turn to in our hour of need, for you see only He can orchestrate things and give us what we truly need not just what we think we need. He doesn't want to see us drawn away by our riches to drown in destruction and perdition. I believe everyone will agree we came into this world with nothing and will leave it in the same manner. It's what we do with our lives while we are here that matters. This life is our training ground for learning how to be sons and daughters of God. By learning Godliness and contentment with what we are given here we will learn how to rule in heaven with Christ for eternity.

Matthew 6:25-34 KJV ²⁵Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? ²⁷Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? ²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? ³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

In the Gospel of Mark chapter 10, verses 17-30 we find the story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus how he could inherit the kingdom of heaven. Christ' answer is well worth reading.

I understand how difficult it is for us humans to wrap our minds around the truth of how the love of money destroys us. It moves us away from trusting in God. True riches can only be found by placing ourselves completely in God's hands.

Mark 10:24-25 KJV ²⁴And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

I have found my greatest joy and seen the hand of God move more in my life since I learned how to trust Him with everything in all circumstances than I ever had when I trusted in myself and my business.

My prayer and hope is for each of you to find that peace and joy only walking with and trusting in your Saviour to meet all your needs will bring when you learn to stop relying on the world. If we are to share in the glory that is Christ' then we must be willing to share in His suffering also. Money may buy you out of the suffering but it may also keep you from sharing in the glory.

Bob Goulding © April 2007