Finances

True Wealth
by Craig Smith
This material appears courtesy of True Wealth

Historical battle over money

Is Money the Root of all Evil?
You've heard it said that money is the root of all evil, right? Wrong! Turn with me to one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. Paul was addressing Timothy, as he was preparing him for public ministry. I will read it to you from the Amplifying Bible, Tim. 6: 10 "For the love of money (and all it buys) placed before the love of God (in reality) is the root of all kinds of evil." Did you catch that? Let me reread it. A clear distinction must be made between the love of money and money itself. Let this truth sink deep into your spirit. God is not anti-money, or anti-wealth, He is anti-money worship. He has helped us to identify that moneylove (worship) is the root of all kinds of evil. In fact, as we have discussed before, God's plan is that we are healthy, wealthy, and wise in this world -- as a testimony of His greatness, power, and glory to come.

Wealth is not the only measuring stick of our blessing from God. Wealth is an indication that a godly man has his house in order but not a guarantee of spirituality. The world is full of rich men and women who are lost spiritually. On the other hand, the majority of the world's people are both lost and poor (like India and China). This means that we cannot boast in our wealth, but rather, as Christians we are to learn to be content in whatever station of life we find ourselves.

My point is that the love of money is the critical factor in determining if money is used for good or evil, from God's perspective. What about Mother Teresa you ask? She was certainly a blessed woman without any wealth at all. True. If only we had a planet full of Mother Teresa's. The reality is that she has answered a special call from God to live among the poor, and to minister the love of God unencumbered by the distractions of possessions. There are others called to minister to the middle class, who teach that fulfillment is not to be found in keeping up with the Jones. There are others who are called to minister to the rich, famous, and powerful by demonstrating that money can be used to restore godly principles back into a culture. For example, Sir John Templeton is doing his part to encourage spirituality in society.

The bottom line is that money, like technology, is spiritually neutral. It can be used for good or evil. God always deals with the heart and the motives of the use of money. If the motives are pure then the fruit can be very very good. Let's stop loving things and start loving people. That is the measure of true wealth!

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