Love of Money
What do you love most? There was a Russian novelist who wrote a story about a magic door that led into a small room, and if a person opened this door, he would find whatever he loved most in this world in the room. And so, in true Russian novel fashion, the book is a long and extensive dialogue between a few people standing outside the door of this room discussing what they expect they’ll find behind the door if they were to walk in.
The take-away here is an idea deeply rooted in biblical Christian thinking. It is actually quite a bit more complicated than you might think to truly know what it is you love most. A Christian’s loves are often divided, aren’t they? We love God, we love Christ, we love one another, but we also really love money. We love comfort. We love our sin. We love ourselves.
King David, in the Old Testament understanding this predicament, wisely prays in Psalm 86, “unite my heart to fear your name,” keenly aware of the fact that his heart is often divided toward God. And so I want us to briefly consider here as we go to God in confession here in a moment, what you have spent the last week loving. What have you been thinking about the most? What have you been most consumed with? What has kept you up at night? What do you find yourself most easily gravitating toward in conversation?
Jesus famously warns us about this in Luke 16, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” And so, let me offer you a biblical suggestion for what might be your answer to the question of what you love most in this world: Money. Paul rightly observes that “The love of money is the root of all evil.” And in these times when money is tight, inflation is on the rise, maybe you’re unemployed or under-employed, or you find yourself thinking more and more about what’s in your bank account or your retirement, our hearts are no doubt tempted to love money more and more. We spend our thoughts imagining what more money could do for us, what it could buy us, the comfort and peace and security it offers. The freedom, and status and validation it can provide you.
And as we survey the whole of Scripture’s teachings and warnings about money and the love of money, we find that the antidote, the way we fight this sin, and the exhortation for the Christian who is tempted to love money is three steps: 1) Wisdom, 2) Contentment, and 3) Generosity.
The Proverbs speak to us a lot about wisely stewarding our money. How should I use this cash God deposits in my bank account every two weeks? We need wisdom for this, and thankfully God promises to give it in abundance if we ask. Secondly, we must pursue and pray for contentment with what we have. We recognize God’s provision for us in our life and we say thank you to God, and we don’t covet beyond what he has given. And lastly, we share and give what we can with cheerful generosity. This is the final death knell for the love of money in our hearts. This is what it looks like for Christians to reflect their wise and loving and generous God in this world, to have open hands that no longer cling to every last cent we have.