But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

I Love Money

The need for currency has always moved the world in commerce and economic growth. There have been many versions of how the exchange was represented, whether by barter, coins, oil, paper, or land, but the outcome was the same. Transactions between parties were sealed in one form or another. The token used as money served as a legal tender that an item had exchanged hands. Early man worked in metallurgy which, from the beginning of time, established the use of coins as money. The Chinese introduced paper as a means of money. Modern technologies introduced electronic versions of currency in different forms. The mechanism of currency has changed since the beginning of time, but one thing has remained a constant: covetousness and greed.

Man is the only creature that will kill another over a coin or piece of paper. A bear will walk along a river seeking food and stumble across vast amounts of gold but will pay no heed or concern to the glittering mineral shining in the water. He only wants to find his next meal. A man will walk the same river and discover gold, and his life will change. The heart fills with a strong desire to find more and more, consuming the man with a feverous passion. He will guard his stake with all of his life. How many men have been killed over the possession of money? Lotteries are heralded as opportunities to have instant wealth in the millions of dollars, reaching as high as $1.586 billion. Money is not the evil no more than gold in a river. The love man places on currency is where sin and degradation begin.

Paul warns the people of God to refrain from the desire and love of money. The Holy Spirit never condemns wealth. Many of God’s greatest servants were very wealthy. Abraham, Job, Solomon, Matthew, and probably Paul himself before he became a Christian. Money is a necessary part of life that allows a man to work and provide for his family. In the early church, the disciples helped one another in need. Collections were taken up weekly to help support the work of the church. The desire to be rich comes from a heart filled with covetousness. God wants His people to be content with what they have. Desiring to have wealth can destroy a soul. Loving money takes away the heart of love devoted to God. Because of the love of material things, children of God have abandoned their faith and worshiped the dollar more than the Lord.

Loving money is misusing the blessings given by God. Currency is a form of exchange to provide for a family and to help others. The Christian works to provide for his own and seek opportunities to share what he has with those in need. Jesus told the story of a rich man that was blessed beyond measure seeking to store his crops in new barns. The failure of the man’s heart was his unwillingness to share with others. God called him a fool. Anyone seeking money is a fool because money has no value to a dead man. The wealthiest man in the world will die and take nothing with him. Sadly, many Christians waste their lives seeking after the wealth of the world rather than the riches of eternal life. Loving money invites disaster. Allowing the love of money to consume the heart will lead to all things unholy. Love God. Use His blessings to glorify Him.