This week’s posts are going to revolve around the theme “The Love of Money”. The most famous passage revolving around this concept comes from 1st Timothy:
“But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim. 6:9-10)
Wealth vs. The Pursuit of Wealth
A conversation on another financial blog got me to thinking about the difference between “money” and “the pursuit of money”. I know it sounds like splitting hairs, but I think that a lot of confusion in the Christian community comes from our inability to separate these terms. Allow me to explain.
It is clear that the Bible does not say that money, in and of itself, is evil. In fact, when used wisely and generously it can be a great blessing. If a believer does not understand this, he cannot steward his resources well. Plain and simple: Money is not inherently evil.
But how do we understand the verses above if we take the position that money is not evil? In a sense, what is Paul warning us about if not money in and of itself? The answer is the pursuit of money-the “foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.” Paul does not argue that money is evil (just a few short verses later he instructs those who are rich to be generous and ready to share). Instead, he is warning that: there is an unhealthy pursuit of money that can distort reality and become “a root of all sorts of evil” when money is sought as the pearl of great price.
We must step back and realize that it is not money, but often the pursuit of money that takes men’s eyes off the Lord and shifts their life’s focus from Christ to cash. A little metaphor might help to explain my point further.
I work with college students at our church. In their phase of life, many of them are trying to find a wife/husband. In all of the madness of dating, love and romance (if you can remember back that far!) there is a phase of relationship where things are just starting out. Often called “the chase” or “the hunt”, there is a time when a girl and guy are flirting with the idea of romance and moving towards a committed relationship. Sadly, the thrill of the hunt leads some young men and women to make their romantic life all about the chase. The adventure, the conquest and the excitement draw some young people to forget about the fact they are searching for a spouse and get lost in all the emotions of the hunt. Their romantic life has nothing to do with real relationship or godly marriage, and everything to do with excitement, mystery and pursuit.
This is similar to the love of money. It is not the payoff, the paycheck or the money that motivate money lovers-it’s often just the prospect of making it. After awhile, it has nothing to do with money. They are lost in “the chase”. They foolishly forget everything else. They move from one conquest to the next never finding satisfaction or fulfillment. They have forgotten what they are searching for, and thus never find it.
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