The level of your understanding defines how you live and your height in life. This means that what you misunderstand can confine you to swimming perpetually in the ocean of misconduct and poverty. In other words, every stand we take or choice we make in life depends mostly on our mindset or mentality about such a situation, which will eventually have either a positive or negative impact on our lives.
Having said that, understanding is very important, especially what the Bible says as Christians. Now, in the area concerning money, it should not be left untouched because of its importance in our everyday struggles. The Bible says, ’For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil” {1 Timothy 6:10 KJV}. Many have little or no understanding about this verse, especially in these end times. As a result of this, they keep limiting the grace of God in their lives. According to this verse, the Bible did not say, ’Money is evil, nor did it say, Money is the root of all evil.
However, many people misunderstood and misinterpreted this verse wrongly to the detriment of their lives and the lives of others because they have not always looked into the Bible to get what the Bible says. Consequently, they live with this misconception or mentality throughout their lifetime.
When anyone believes that money is the root of all evil without studying the Bible to understand what the Bible says and what it really means, such a person will be carrying about a mentality that to pursue money is a sin. Because of this, his or her attitude toward money changed, leading to poverty. This is the terrain in which many have found themselves, even committed Christians.
Money is good; it is not evil because the Bible also says money answers all things and it is a defence to those who have it {Eccl. 7:12, 10:19 }. This means that the lack of it makes the prayer points of some people lengthy and repetitive. This may sound strange, but it is the truth that cannot be hidden. We ought to understand what the Bible says and key into it. In the above verse, many have omitted the important part of what the Bible says: ’the LOVE of money. And even in this, it is still complex because everybody loves money. However, what the Bible really means in this verse is about covetousness, as it says later, ’which while some coveted after.” This word has given us more understanding that it is not just about a mere love for money but coveting it. As I said, everybody loves money, but coveting it is what the Bible warns us against. The Bible is very clear about this, and it has provided us with examples.
And these are those who coveted money in the Bible and missed their salvation:
Achan Joshua 7:21
Judas Iscariot, Matt. 26:15; 27:5–6
Demas, 2 Timothy 4:10, etc.
Covetousness is a strong desire for something, especially something that belongs to someone else. The opposite of covetousness is contentment, which we have seen in the previous verses (1 Timothy 6:6–8). It is synonymous with greediness and envy. James 3:16; Proverbs 15:27. This is just to get more light on what the Bible is talking about in the verse under discussion {1 Timothy 6:10}. According to the definition of covetousness above, the most active word there is this adjective, ‘’strong desire.’’ Many people are moved by this strong desire to get it by all means, especially when they see others making it, and in an attempt to satisfy their longings, they fall into all kinds of evil activities. This is where the problem is, not money itself, and this is where contentment comes in. Contentment is the key solution. But this does not mean we should be satisfied with our present situations. No, it is limiting the grace of God in our lives. All we need to do is to move forward but with the spirit of contentment and complete focus on the things of the kingdom.
Apostle Paul wrote to Brother Timothy, revealing the predicament in which some brethren have found themselves as a result of covetousness, and warned him against inordinate love for money and its consequences. He said this because there were some brethren like Demas who have been pursuing money at the expense of their salvation; some have the money but not enough for them, while some do not have it but desire to have it by all means.
In the later verses, Paul told Timothy to flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, etc. 1 Timothy 6:11&12. When he said this, he did not mean Timothy should run away from money because he talked about it. No! By the way, how will he or the ministry be sustained without money? He was talking about covetousness, not money itself, as we have said. We ought to pursue money by looking for something good and doing it. Then, we can get the money. God even said it in his words in 2 Thess. 3:10. As said, money forms the basic part of our sustenance, and I do not think we can do without it in our practical life.
Now, this does not underscore the fact that our faith in Christ is the major thing in life, but we need to balance it with our pursuit of money. Remember that if we pursue money early enough with our salvation intact, a time will come when money will be pursuing after us as a result of our numerous investments. This is wisdom, and it is profitable to use.
Sadly enough, many professed Christians today misunderstand this verse {10} and carry poverty mentally about, thinking it is godliness to suffer in poverty. They do not want to talk about money openly as if money itself is evil, yet they are dying in poverty. If we do not dream money, talk money, how can we know where it is and do something to get it? Some of them even missed God’s given opportunities that would have made them rich because of their mentality about money. Afterward, as they became old, they kept regretting it and resorted to borrowing because of financial burdens. Will that give God the glory? We need to make our hay while the sun is shining and keep balancing it with our faith.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus and the parable of Christ about the rich man does not really mean that the rich will not enter the kingdom of God (Luke 16:19–31; Matt. 19:24). This is not so. It is just a warning for us to be careful about money because of its tendency to trap us. If so, why was Father Abraham found in Heaven, when the Bible testifies that he was a rich man on the earth (Genesis 13:2). If every Christian has this mindset, how will the works of God be supported? Remember Joseph of Arimathea and Lazarus and learn a lesson that will help you to be useful in God’s house and to the brethren (Matt. 28:57–61). They were rich men who performed the burial of Jesus with their expensive tomb and clothes and supported his ministry when he was alive as secret followers.
Conclusion
This is the mind of God for us:
“Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalms 35:27.
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” [2 Corinthians 8:9].
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” {3 John 2}.
From these passages, we know that God wants us to prosper as the kingdom works are prospering in our hands. He has already empowered us through the grace of our Lord Jesus to make wealth, but because of the misunderstanding of his word, many chose to suffer in poverty for the sake of heaven. This mentality ought to be changed to help us live better during this time of economic downturn. We need to understand that money itself is not evil, and to pursue it too is not a sin, as we have seen in our discussions. But how we pursue money is what calls for a serious question. Let us always have eternity in view while pursuing money because it is God’s will for us to make good wealth so that his name will be glorified(Deut. 8:18). See you on top!