The Love Of Money

The Love Of Money

The bible says in I Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is the root of all evil." It doesn't say that money is evil, but the "love" of money is evil.  We obviously need money to pay for a house to live in and food and clothes.  That is why people have jobs and earn money to be able to provide for their family, but it is the love of money that is evil.  Most unsaved people in the world want more and more money all the time so they can buy bigger and better houses and all other fancier things in the world, but we as saved Christians should not be like that.  The bible says we should be content with our basic needs in life, to be satisfied with having food and clothing.  It says in Hebrews 13:5: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Conversation means way of life.  Covetousness means always wanting more of the things of the world, and content means being satisfied with what you have.  Covetousness also means wanting what other people have.

I Timothy 6:6: But godliness with contentment is great gain.
6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
6:8: And having food and raiment let us therewith be content.  (Raiment means clothing).

In Proverbs 30:8 it says: Remove from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me.  That means we should not want to be so poor that we don't have enough money for food, or to be so rich that we don't trust God to meet our needs, but trust ourselves. God says in his word that he will supply all our needs.  Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Here is a portion of the bible that talks about putting God before money.
Luke 12:13: And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14: And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16: And he spake a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought for plentifully:
17: And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18: And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20: But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall this things be, which thou has provided?
21: So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22: And he said unto his disciples, Therefore, say I unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23: The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24: Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap: which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them; how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25: And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26: If ye then be not able to do that things which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27: Consider the lilies how they grow; they toil not, they spin not: and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28: If God so clothes the grass, which is to day in field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he cloth you, O ye of little faith?
29: And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30: For all these things do the nations of the world seek after; and your father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

In Ecclesiates 5:10 the bible says: He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase; this is also vanity.  So people who love money and things and always want more and more, they will never be satisfied with what they have, they will just keep still wanting more no matter how much they have.  It is an empty life for people who love money, that's why the bible says it is vanity.

Instead of laying up treasures on earth, we should be laying up treasures in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

When we lay up treasures in heaven, we can be sure they will last forever, for eternity, and that nothing can take them away from us like thieves, or rust, or corrosion.  They will be pure and bright and shiny and new. That is so much better and much more worth it than just having lots of things in this life on this earth.  When we get to heaven we will be so glad that we lived for the Lord and not for the wealth of the world.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4, the devil told Jesus he would give him all the kingdoms of the world if he would worship him, but Jesus refused because he put God first.
Matthew 4:8: Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9: And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10: Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

The bible makes it clear that we cannot serve God and material wealth at the same time.  It must be one or the other.
Matthew 6:24: No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  Mammon means material wealth.

The bible says the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord thy God.
Matthew 22:37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38: This is the first and great commandment.

So, in conclusion let's love the Lord with all our hearts and not love money.