Do You Have False Ideas About Money?

A common mis-quote from the the bible is, “Money is the root of all evil.”

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Tim 6:9-10)

Money itself is not bad or evil.

Money is viewed as evil, until a need for it arises.

God is not against wealth; He is against sin. So what is wealth?

“Wealth is the ability to obtain what is immediately required. Prosperity is having enough provision to complete God’s instructions.”

However, as powerful as money is, we must remember that it is the lowest form of power. It does not remove burdens, destroy yolks, or cause miracles. Money is simply a tool used to obtain the power to accomplish God’s will; it is not power in itself.

As Christians we are to define ourselves in terms of our relationship with Jesus. You can be successful and not wealthy; you can be wealthy but not successful. To be truly a “successful businessman,” is to be wealthy and to know Jesus.

Never measure success by the amount of money you have; measure success by how intimate your relationship is with Jesus.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

“Greed desires everything and is satisfied with nothing; grace desires nothing, but is satisfied with everything.”

If you take what we call a “self-made millionaire,” and try to preach the Kingdom to him, it is very difficult. He has done it on his own. He feels like he doesn’t need God. Though there is an emptiness inside of him that he tries to fill with: another drink and/or more drugs, another business deal, a bigger boat, a bigger house and more cars, another marriage, he doesn’t realize that the only way he can fill that void is through a relationship with God. God doesn’t make sense to him. He has an “I can do it on my own mentality.” After all he is a “self-made man.” He keeps his conscience clean by being generous and giving to society probably as fire insurance if not more than anything. It is very hard indeed get a rich man who does not know God and the purpose of money into the Kingdom of heaven.

Money makes you comfortable while you are miserable. (i.e. life without God)