Happy Valentines Day! Did you get a card or gift for your bank account? I hope not! But some people might as well because of their love of money.
Two Bible verses about love…of money…have been on my mind over the last few days. Appropriate, for Valentines Day, I suppose.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” – Hebrews 13:5
“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
Money is a tool that can be used to do many good and great things – for ourselves, our family, our community, and the world.
But the love of money, according to the Bible, can cause great harm to our own souls, our family, and others. If we love money, it becomes a god that competes within our heart against the one true God.
Where Does the Love of Money Come From?
I think the love of money creeps into our lives when we lose the proper perspective about the purpose and uses of money. When we…
- Begin to pursue money for its own sake (just to have it).
- Find our security, or measure our self-worth, in how much money we have coming in or sitting in the bank.
- Fail to realize that not all the money God channels our way is supposed to stay with us…but flow through us into the lives of others, through generous giving.
- Don’t take actions we know God is calling us to take because of what it might cost us financially, or because we don’t feel we have the resources to be able to do it – so we’re trusting in our own resources instead of trusting in God’s.
How to Keep Free from the Love of Money
I think we can keep free from the love of money by doing these four things:
- Stay humble and content. Don’t strive for stuff for its sake, but keep a proper perspective and see money and things as tools that can be used to provide for your family, bless others and build God’s kingdom.
- Remain dependent upon God, no matter how much money is in the bank. Always realize that the provision comes from Him, and thank Him for it regularly.
- Be generous. One of the funniest things about money is this: the more you give, the more you get. Somehow, when you give money away to others, it has a way of coming back to you. It’s not a zero-sum game.
- Plant seeds for the kingdom. Look for ways to invest your resources to make a kingdom impact. See your money as seeds that, when planted and watered with prayer, will bring up a harvest that will impact many lives and grow God’s kingdom as a result.
I’m always checking my heart and spirit regarding the love of money. Because I want to build real wealth and I want to grow businesses.
But I don’t want to be wealthy just for what the wealth will do for me. I want to channel those resources to make a difference for God’s kingdom here in my own community and around the world, and to give others the opportunity to do the same.
What about you? Have you ever struggled with the love of money in the past? What do you do to help you keep a proper perspective about money?
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