Why should we be concerned?
Why should you be concerned about loving money? You should be very concerned to discern if you love money because the Bible says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” (I Timothy 6:10) What kinds of evils? The Word of God mentions many both explicitly or implicitly; here is just a sampling: (1) desertion from the faith (2) sorrow, (3) slavery & despising of God, (4) discontentment, (5) dissatisfaction, (6) loss, and (7) ruin and destruction.[i] The love of money pulls your heart out of a proper orbit around the all-satisfying and all-loving God into a sinful orbit around itself that cannot lead to the fruitfulness and joy God desires for you.
How do I recognize the love of money?
I don’t know about you, but just those seven evils associated with the love of money are enough to make me want to run a heart diagnostic to be sure I am free from it. So how might one know he or she is loving money? Let me suggest three questions to help determine if your life is polluted by the love of money.
Where are you putting your money?
Why would I ask that question? The Bible says, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) In other words, where we spend our money is an indication of what we love. If we use money to amass more wealth or material benefits to ourselves while neglecting to do good and advance God’s Kingdom, then we probably have a heart inclined to materialism rather than God. This is a clear sign we love money and what it can get us more than God.
What are you willing to do for money?
Second Kings 5 narrates the cautionary tale of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, who lost his job and health for the love of money. Are you willing to disobey God for financial profit? Are you willing to refuse the Spirit’s urging to give because you feel you need the money more? Do you avoid church or family obligations to get ahead financially? If this is you or me it reveals our hearts love wealth more than God in that moment. The Lord lovingly communicates that we cannot serve him and money. It will be one or the other. (Matthew. 6:24) Who do we love, The Fountain of living waters or a broken cistern? (Jeremiah 2:13)
What is your relationship to money?
We probably love money if we think we own it, it is our security, or it is our ticket to the good life. If we want to free ourselves from the love of money, we may need to have a talk with our money and redefine our relationship with it in biblical terms. We must let our money know that we don’t own it, we are just stewarding it for God. Money also needs to know we are more excited about using it for eternal good than temporal gain. (Luke 16:1—13) Furthermore, we need to let money know it is a tool to bless others and not our ultimate source of security. (Proverbs 18:11) Finally, we need to tell money our lives orbit around God and his priorities not our own. (Romans 12:1—2; 14:8)
Conclusion
God is more than able to free us from the love of money! “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Cor. 9:6—8[ii]
[i] Here are the associated references for each evil associated with the love of money in order 1—8: I Tim. 6:10, Mat. 6:24, Heb. 13:5, Ecc. 5:10, Prov. 11:28, and I Tim. 6: 9.
[ii] Further reading: Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn or Living in the Light of Money, Sex, and Power by John Piper.
