October 8
Jeremiah 7-8
Psalm 111
Proverbs 24:19-20
I Timothy 6:1-10
A Root of Evil
“But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” I Timothy 6:6-10
Many people have twisted this verse to say that money is the root of all kinds of evil. That is not what it says. It says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money itself is not evil. It isn’t even bad. Money can be used for a lot of good things. David was very wealthy. Abraham was wealthy. Job was wealthy. The Bible never tells us that having money is a bad thing or even that it is a problem. Our attitude toward money is the thing that makes it good or bad. A proper attitude toward money results in a generous person who holds onto earthly possessions lightly. He recognizes that anything he has been given is a blessing from God and he willingly shares from his bounty with others. God can use him to meet the needs of the church and fellow believers as needs arise. He is content because he knows that God will provide for his needs. He trusts that God knows what he needs before he does and believes that God will do whatever is necessary to meet those needs. He finds his purpose and meaning in his relationship with the Lord and not in his earthly possessions. His eye is on eternity, so he recognizes that money and the things it can buy have no lasting value.
On the other hand, a problematic attitude toward money results in greediness and can lead to “foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.” The desire to make money can lead people to do things that they never thought they would do. They do not trust that God will meet their needs and they are not content with what they have been given by God. They want more and when they get more, they want even more than that. They find their meaning and purpose in what they have and the status it affords them. Instead of investing in things that have eternal significance, they invest their time and energy in earthly pursuits. They are not able to enjoy the blessings they have because they are consumed with the desire for more. The amount of money one has is not as important as their attitude toward it. There are people with a lot of money and people who don’t have much money who manage their money well and have a healthy attitude toward money. There are also people in every financial situation who have unhealthy money habits. It is good to periodically evaluate our attitude toward money asking God to reveal any areas where we need to improve. Financial issues can cause a lot of worry and fear. We need to be purposeful in trusting God and giving Him control of this area of our lives.
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