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The Love of Money
“Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; [provide me only with the food I need;] lest, being full, I deny you, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8, 9, NAB).
The Bible does not limit the amount of money one should aim to have, but warns against the wrong attitude toward money and possessions—such as covetousness and greed. A wrong outlook might make people obsessive, compulsive, and addicted to moneymaking (albeit honestly earned) or to the accumulation of possessions. These themes may occupy so much time and effort that they become false gods.
Information technology has made things easier, but, at the same time, more risky for those prone to addiction. For example, private investors on the stock exchange now can perform their operations instantly over the Internet. In this setting, some easily are caught for endless hours in front of the computer, all in order to make money; this is not the same thing, however, as someone being a good steward by wisely and carefully investing money.
Read Mark 10:17–27. See also 1 Tim. 6:10 and Luke 12:15. What warning must we take away from these texts?
Such expressions as “the man's face fell” and “he went away sad” (Mark 10:22, NIV) tell us that his love for wealth was greater than his love for the Master. Accumulation of money or material possessions is not good or bad in itself. It all depends on where the heart is (Matt. 6:21). It becomes dangerous when it stands in the way of what should be the first goal: seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness (vs. 33).
The ship Chanunga, on its way from Liverpool to America, had a massive collision with a small vessel from Hamburg. Crowded with more than two hundred passengers, the ship sank a half hour after the crash. The Chanunga’s lifesaving boats were lowered in order to reach the shipwrecked persons, but only thirty-four were saved. Why such a small proportion? Almost all had seized their belts of gold and silver and tied them round their waists. Refusing to lose their money, they lost their lives (and their money) instead.
Who doesn’t like money? The question you need to ask yourself is “Do I control my desire for money, or does it control me?”
| WEDNESDAY | March 9 |
“Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; [provide me only with the food I need;] lest, being full, I deny you, saying, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8, 9, NAB).
The Bible does not limit the amount of money one should aim to have, but warns against the wrong attitude toward money and possessions—such as covetousness and greed. A wrong outlook might make people obsessive, compulsive, and addicted to moneymaking (albeit honestly earned) or to the accumulation of possessions. These themes may occupy so much time and effort that they become false gods.
Information technology has made things easier, but, at the same time, more risky for those prone to addiction. For example, private investors on the stock exchange now can perform their operations instantly over the Internet. In this setting, some easily are caught for endless hours in front of the computer, all in order to make money; this is not the same thing, however, as someone being a good steward by wisely and carefully investing money.
Read Mark 10:17–27. See also 1 Tim. 6:10 and Luke 12:15. What warning must we take away from these texts?
Such expressions as “the man's face fell” and “he went away sad” (Mark 10:22, NIV) tell us that his love for wealth was greater than his love for the Master. Accumulation of money or material possessions is not good or bad in itself. It all depends on where the heart is (Matt. 6:21). It becomes dangerous when it stands in the way of what should be the first goal: seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness (vs. 33).
The ship Chanunga, on its way from Liverpool to America, had a massive collision with a small vessel from Hamburg. Crowded with more than two hundred passengers, the ship sank a half hour after the crash. The Chanunga’s lifesaving boats were lowered in order to reach the shipwrecked persons, but only thirty-four were saved. Why such a small proportion? Almost all had seized their belts of gold and silver and tied them round their waists. Refusing to lose their money, they lost their lives (and their money) instead.
Who doesn’t like money? The question you need to ask yourself is “Do I control my desire for money, or does it control me?”
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