Word of the Week - Love of Money
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6-10
As a businessman who works in the financial services industry where success is measured in financial terms such as income (P&L) and net worth (balance sheet), this verse is both sobering and refreshing. Sobering in the sense that we are susceptible to the temptation of placing our hope and self-worth in the things of this world with a focus on our financial security and status; therefore, we must proactively guard our hearts from this tendency, which the bible states is part of our human nature. Refreshing, in the sense that at the end of the day, we will leave this world the same way we entered it, with nothing; thus, all that really matters are things of eternal value, which we know have less to do with temporal possessions and wealth but have much to do with eternal things of God and people (relationship), which last forever. “What do most people say on their deathbed? They don’t say, ‘I wish I’d spent more time on my business and made more money.’ What they do say is, ‘ I wish I’d spent more time with my family & friends, and done more that counted for eternity.’ John Maxwell
“Love of money” is synonymous with the word Mammon which implies the worship of materialism, such that we put our faith in Mammon believing it will meet our needs and make us happy and fulfilled. This is a lie of the enemy of our soul. On the surface this may sound a bit radical, but if we search our hearts, it is not hard to understand how we might find instances of Mammon in our lives. This is our world’s value system, especially in the good old USA. Love of money or Mammon is counter/anti to faith in God’s grace and provision. It is faith in future human and material resources – the things we can buy with financial resources. Therefore, the love of money, or trust in the things of this world, can be counter to our faith and trusting the Lord. Jesus said during the sermon on the mount that “No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money (Mammon)” Matthew 6:24. Because of the value system of our world and the way our financial system is organized it is easy to fall into this trap. The truth of the matter is that we are all susceptible to this temptation and must be keenly aware of the trap so we can work to build protection in our lives.
Godly Antidotes to the Love of Money - So how do we reject the spirit of Mammon and find godliness with true contentment when it comes to dealing with money and wealth? Paul gives us the key in verse 1 Timothy 11 “ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith.” I think the key is to take an offensive stand and proactively pursue the things of God along with some other key strategies outlined by Paul in the book of 1Timothy that I found to be well-articulated by Pastor Larry Stockstill in his daily devotional:
Paul taught Timothy three vital truths about money/finances:
Contentment - First, he taught him that the love of money can be dangerous to one's spiritual health. Money itself is not evil, but the love of money is a dangerous deception that can lead even to being drawn away from the faith. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9. The proper attitude toward money must be one of contentment. As we live our lives, we must be thankful for what we have, not always wanting what we don't have. “
Gratitude – If we have an attitude of Gratitude we realize that God desires to bless us so we can be a blessing. He "richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17). God is not a taker- He's a giver! He longs to bless us for our enjoyment. 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17
Generosity and Giving - The third truth Paul shared regarding money is the principle of generosity and giving, which is the true antidote to the spirit of Mammon. He urged Timothy to instruct the rich to remember to use their earthly wealth for doing good, thus laying up an eternal reward in heaven. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 1 Timothy 6:18-19
As we proactively invest our lives and our financial capital in God’s Kingdom, our hearts will be encouraged and protected from the spirit of Mammon. Even more exciting, our investment will be multiplied back to us in the life to come as we invest forward for our “Treasures in Heaven”. Finally, it is surely more joyous to give than to receive, try it and see!!!!!
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
Have a great week!!!!
-Duane