Most hard-working people think of the love of money as something only those far wealthier than them struggle with. I certainly used to think this way. Today, I find this thinking ironic.
We work ten to sixteen hours a day in jobs we hate just to keep pace with our ever-increasing bills – and the neighbours. Marriages break down and children end up in therapy because parents are simply never around. We’re too busy working to give our children the things we never had when we were growing up.
All the while we pat ourselves on the back saying, our value system is more Biblical. We’re not like those materialistic rich people where everything is just about money. We choose not to pursue riches because the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
We need to be honest with ourselves and ask the question. Could it be the love of money that drives us to the office each day? Would we still do this if our employers said, ‘We’re not going to pay you any more. After all, it’s not really all about the money.’
Could it be the love of money that keeps us locked in a cycle of acquiring things and constantly spending just a little more than we earn? Do we really need that extra living room in the more expensive suburb, or the new car and flat-screen TV that eats up the pay increase we just got?
I’m not saying rich people don’t love money. Many do. I’m simply saying let’s not judge them too harshly because none of us is immune. The love of money is sin – and we are all sinners.
While this may sound depressing, I believe quite the opposite. I find it liberating. Nowhere does the Bible tell us that either the acquisition or wise stewardship of money is evil or sinful in any way. Only the love of money – and that is something we need to deal with in our lives regardless of whether we are princes or paupers.
Which leads me to the biggest irony of all. The love of money not only distracts us from our relationship with God. It’s actually the culprit that keeps us locked in the very financial bondage from which it promises to rescue us.
Our constant need to spend prevents us from saving money. Our fear of losing what we already have prevents us from investing money. And our endless reach for just a little bit more keeps us locked in the cycle year after year.
There is a flip-side to this, however. When we break free from Mammon’s grip, we not only rectify our relationship with God; we also free ourselves of the yoke that keeps us in financial bondage. Far from denying us true wealth, understanding 1 Tim 6:10 and applying it to our lives is the very key to unlocking the wealth we desire.