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"Draw near to God and
He will draw near to you."
- James 4:8
Categories of
Interest
The Existence of God
The Lie of Evolution
The Problems of Pain and Evil
Various Philosophies
The Lie of Communism
Proper Doctrine
Blessing, Charity, and Money
Render Unto Caesar
Blessing Instead of Cursing
Times of Trouble
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Blessing, Charity, and Money
Is money "the root of all evil"? No. Money is neither good nor bad. Scripture
is often misquoted in this matter. The Apostle Paul wrote,
- For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy
6:10 NIV)
It is the love of money that is a
root--not the root--of all kinds of evil. Why? How many
wealthy people are truly happy? Very often, the wealthy are worried about their money.
They are driven to produce more. They are stingy. In a nutshell, they store up their
treasure where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, for where one's
treasure is, there also is the heart. (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)
Does God Want Christians to be Poor?
No, but many people believe this because
of the story of the "rich young ruler." Jesus once told a rich young man
to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow him. (See Matthew
19:16-30) Why did he command this? This rich man came to Jesus asking,
"What good thing must I do to get eternal life?" It was the wrong
question. You cannot earn eternal life. Eternal life is a gift from God
to all who trust in Jesus (John 3:16). Jesus replies to the man, "Why do
you ask me about what is good?" After briefly discussing the ten
commandments, Jesus tells him to sell everything and give it away.
Scripture says the man went away sorrowful because he was wealthy.
For this man, Jesus had touched the
thing he loved. He loved his money. Remember, why did he come to Jesus?
He wanted to know "what good thing" he should do to "get" eternal life.
Jesus gave him a "thing to do" but not because it would earn the man
eternal life, rather because it would mean that he give up the thing he
loved. Jesus pointed to the man's heart. The man wanted to know what
would give him eternal life and Jesus basically told him not to love his
money. He then says that it is very difficult for the wealthy to enter
heaven. Why? Because of the love of money. "You cannot serve both God
and Money" (Matthew 6:24).
In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6:19-34), Jesus follows the discussion
of "storing up treasures" with a point about not worrying over things like money
and clothing and food, but instead trusting God for all one's necessities. This discussion
concludes with seeking God's kingdom and righteousness as your first priority, and God
will give you what you need.
God wants you to stop loving money.
Generosity
How do you stop loving money? Give it away. The principle found in the story of the
wealthy young man is valid. Look at the statements in Matthew 5:29:
- If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better
for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
If that is true of your body, how much more true is it for your money? Do you love your
money? If you do, you cannot truly love God. Test yourself and see whether you love money.
- Do you give ten percent of your income to a church?
- Do you give amounts beyond the ten percent to other charitable organizations?
- Do you give money to individuals who need help?
- Do you help individuals who are not friends or family?
- Do you determine whether to give anything based on whether you will be able to take a
tax deduction for it?
- Do you give things other than money?
- Do you eagerly await opportunities to give away your money?
There is no certain number of "yes" and "no" answers that indicate
whether you love money. As you read through the questions, what was the response of your
heart?
Scripture speaks of "tithes, alms, and offerings." The tithe was commanded by
God (Leviticus 27:30). What about charitable activities?
Click here for more regarding charity, tithing,
and other forms of giving.
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