I heard it again today!

Someone misquoted the Bible and said, “money is the root of all evil.” This is so far from the truth.  It is the “love” and “lack” of money that often lead to evil!

So much of our time is occupied by earning a living, it is difficult to keep our priorities straight. Someone expressed the dilemma in these terms: You can’t win. If you run after money, you’re materialistic. If you don’t get it, you’re a loser. If you get it and keep it, you’re a miser. If you don’t try to get it, you lack ambition. If you get it and spend it, you’re a spendthrift. If you still have it after a lifetime of work, you’re a fool who never got any fun out of life.

Money itself is morally neutral—it can be used for good or evil. The problem is caused by the love of money, not the amount of money you have (see 1 Timothy 6:10). We can be just as covetous and materialistic over a little as over a lot. People like Abraham, Joseph, and David showed us wealth does not always jeopardize a person’s walk with God. The real issue is attitude, not affluence.

We may not consider ourselves rich, but compared to all the people who have lived on this earth in the past and in the present, we are clearly at the wealthy end of the spectrum. If you go to http://www.globalrichlist.comand plug in your salary, you will probably find yourself to be among the wealthiest people in the world.

Priorities

The top indicators I have found that reveal a person’s priorities are the spending of two God-given resources: time and money. You can get a fairly accurate picture of what a person deems as important in life by looking at his or her planning calendar and checkbook. Money can be used for good purposes such as providing for one’s family, preventing poverty, and relief help following disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

On the other hand, however, money can provide no satisfaction for our spiritual needs; it cannot purchase peace, love, or righteousness. It does not last, but slips through our fingers. When you set your eyes solely on wealth, you are more likely to lose it. Money can be dangerous when you become materialistic, greedy, and self-sufficient to the point where God has no place in your world.