For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. [1 Timothy 6.10]
Up to the time of this writing, I cannot say that in the 12+ years I have been "blogging" that I have ever responded to this verse.
Hmm. That could mean a couple of different things. It could mean that I have no problem with money (love of it) and so naturally the topic does not 'hit a nerve' with me personally causing me to write about it. Or, it could mean that I am blind to my love of money and so I unconsciously avoid the topic. Worse yet, it could mean that I consciously avoid the subject of money because I have no intention of ever proving that I do not love it because I do.
Why did I ever choose to write on this today?
The fact is, money is the deciding factor for many of us. By "deciding factor" I mean that money determines what we do or do not do.
Now, while money determining our course of action may at first seem wise, it also needs careful consideration. What if Jesus had considered money when feeding the 5000? Most certainly, He would have said, we don't have enough. But He didn't. To effectively "be like Jesus" we must also see the need above the resource.
The real problem is that money has become all-important in our society today. Few, if any, decisions are made today without first checking the pocketbook. We justify our 'management' of money by quoting Jesus about first "counting the cost." Jesus used money as an illustration in that lesson in Luke 14. However, Jesus wasn't teaching there about money-management. He was making the point that following Him (Jesus) would cost His followers everything and that they needed to take that into account. And that is where we come to when considering, "should I give as the Spirit is leading (maybe feed the 5000)..." without regard for 'my' resources? Or should I first 'count the cost?"
Bingo! We SHOULD count the cost! It will cost us everything! It won't be a matter of money-management, it will be a matter of giving it all away! But that requires that we see the need first! The need is what God said we should look for. But He never indicated that we should only see the solution in light of OUR resources! And, herein lies the defining moment... who's resources are we ministering from anyway?
Remember when Jesus told the disciples to feed the 5000? He said YOU feed them. The disciples were genuinely concerned for the hunger of the crowd - they WERE, after all, the ones who pointed it out. But genuineness is not enough! Genuineness for people without genuineness for God and His resources is useless! When Jesus told them, "YOU feed them," He was, in essence providing the platform for the disciples to ask themselves, "how, with what we have, can we do it?" And the answer could only be "with God's resources."
And here we come back then to the "love of money." When we love money, we give absolutely no regard for the resources of God. Our society has tricked us into a faithless existence of self-focused money management!
I am not suggesting that we all just go out and be stupid with money. But I am saying that we need to be in tune with our Master's voice to the point that we see the needs His life in us presents to us with a consciousness of Kingdom resources and not our own. If we count the cost of our own resources, we will not meet the needs that come before us (and certainly not like Jesus in feeding/helping thousands!).
The love of money is a love of self. It blinds us to the resources of God. It severely limits our ministry potential. It destroys our testimony of God and His power. The love of money is a prideful denial of God's provision.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch!
How sad is it to see needs we cannot meet? That may be what Paul was talking about when he mentioned the sorrows associated with the love of money.
I believe the love of money is absolutely (as Paul indicated) what causes us to wander from the "true faith." If our eyes only see our own resources, how can we ever see the resources of God? And what is faith if it is not a complete abandon to the resources of God (unseen)?
I can see here that I have no excuse for loving money. I have no excuse for placing "good management" above obeying God. I can see here that I am way too dependent upon myself and my resources.
Father, please forgive me!
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