One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is ‘money is the root of all evil’. To begin with, 1 Tim 6:10 does not say the root of all evil, for there are plenty of other forms of evil. Furthermore, Paul is speaking about ‘the love of money’. Much evil comes from turning God’s good gift of money into an ultimate gift; i.e. an idol. The longest treatment of money in the Bible is found in Eccles 5:8-6:9. As we saw in last week’s sermon, the love of money will only lead to misery and despair; a chasing after the wind (Eccles 6:9). So why is this?
Well firstly, idolising money leads people to pursue money at all costs. Such an obsession though means the person is never actually able to enjoy what they have, because money is telling them they always need more before they can be happy.
Secondly, whenever we idolise something, it will always demand we sacrifice to it. Money demands we sacrifice our family, our health, the law and even our own conscience. When money has the reigns of one’s conscience, it is not long before this leads to the oppression of others in the pursuit of riches.
Finally, because money (like all idols) is never satisfied, those who worship it will over time be dragged down into depression. This can either come from financial losses through reckless decisions, or the simply reality that even a billion dollars isn’t enough to buy happiness.
The Bible says money is a good gift of God, which is to be used to love God and love others. As Christians, may we treat our money radically differently to our neighbours, as we give it away in surprising amounts, all the while content in what God gives us.
