MONDAY January 27, 2020

The Love of Money

…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.
1Timothy 6:9-10

James had sternly warned the rich. Paul also cautioned Christians about the love of money. Some people who have money have no restraints. Certainly those without God use their finances in ungodly ways. The rich can buy whatever they want––they just pay cash. Therefore, a rich person faces a fierce temptation––a temptation so ferocious that it will consume them, unless they live ever so close to the Lord.

Some people believe money is evil. They are mistaken. Money in itself is not evil. It is the desire or love of money that will cause evil situations. It is the Lord who gives, and it is the Lord who takes away. The Lord is the one who blesses people. Honestly, there is no reason to covet.

The rich tend to worry about their stocks and all they own. They become stressed out about their money. Imagine the time and effort spent on the telephone as they constantly have to check on their finances. What about rich movie stars or millionaires? If they fail to hire a good agent or financial advisor, they could find themselves in a situation where they are swindled out of thousands of dollars by someone they trusted.

I find that people who have riches worry, and people who do not have money worry. Honestly, there has to be a balance. I believe the balance comes when people realize the money they have is not theirs––it is God’s.

If we understand that our homes, our cars, our clothing and our shoes belong to God, then we are going to be careful how we use things. We are going to spend our money far more wisely. People will plan for the future. How freeing it is to be where God wants us to be financially.

Be faithful with your finances, and do not be a bad steward. Make money your god, it will plague you like the devil.
~Henry Fielding~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!