The Love Of Money

If you are a believer think about how much your money means to you.  In today’s world it seems like many people want to be rich, which may be a noble goal.  I see nothing wrong with being rich for the right reason, but I would ask this question if I had the opportunity, I think I would say this, think carefully about what you are asking for, what’s your goal for being rich, why do you want to be rich?  

I personally think believers should want their needs met, but not all their wants.   I think that is a great problem in our society, many of us want many things and we end up getting things we don’t need just because we want them at the time.  If that is not true, go to garage sales sometime and see the large number of things that people have accumulated over the years that they never really needed. Believe me I know because I am guilty myself, so I am not picking on anyone else just trying to bring awareness to this growing problem that is so prevalent in our country and trying to keep someone else from stumbling and falling into a trap that is hard to recover from.  I don’t want anyone to get me wrong, these sales are a great way to buy things that you do need at very reasonable prices for the most part which has benefited many people, the seller and the buyer.

Getting back to my point about being rich, many believers would like to be rich, but many may fall into the trap of loving money instead of using it to glorify God with it.  And remember this, the love of money is the root of all evil.  I have thought at times about being rich so that I could help so many people that need help.  Then this thought would come to my mind, what if the money helped make me a different person and not want to do the right thing?  What if I fell in love with the money or what if I was afraid to give it away, fearing that I would end up broke someday?  I think having money and buying whatever you want sounds great and I am sure that many others would agree with me but when you get used to that lifestyle it would be extremely hard to go back to the way you were used to living and I am sure that it would be hard to give it up.

This may help you to see my point, please read Matthew 19:16-22, “Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Then Jesus said something about how hard it was for a rich man to go to heaven in that same chapter in verses 23-24, please read this, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

When you look at it the way Jesus describes it here we know that it isn’t easy for a rich man to get in heaven, but He didn’t say that it was impossible.

In this story it seems like this man’s money had him held hostage instead of him having control of the money, it had control of him.  When what we have has that effect, then we have a real problem because we have fallen in love with it, whatever it may be!!  The money itself is not the problem, it is when we hang onto it with a closed fist to the point that God has a hard time prying it out of our hands then that becomes a real problem even an idol.  God is not against us having money, if we use it without being greedy with it.  When we become greedy and won’t use some of it to honor Him and help others, I believe we hinder the blessings we would have received.  So be careful what you wish for because it could end up being a blessing or possibly a curse depending on our response to it after we have whatever it might be, and money seems to be one of the hardest things to give up.

Please read this in Mark 8:36-37, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

These verses are so true; we need to hold onto everything we own like it doesn’t belong to us but to the Lord.  Many times, when the Lord blesses us, it is so we can bless others.  Many of us have heard this saying, “It is better to give then receive.”  Some people are givers and some people aren’t, which one are you.  The givers are blessed twice because when they give they are blessed because they have the satisfaction of helping someone else and if they give with a happy heart they will receive even more blessings so that they can continue to bless others.  I think I have said enough; may the good Lord bless you and yours and may you all have a super day.