During my (relatively short) lifetime, I’ve sadly seen many in the church lose themselves in the pursuit of wealth (or “financial freedom”, as it’s now popular to call it). Now, if you’re a believer who’s pursuing financial freedom, take a deep breath. Before you jump to conclusions about my opinions, or begin arming yourself with ammunition to argue with me, hear me out. First of all, I don’t believe that prospering or having material blessings (including money) is inherently wrong. Furthermore, I do believe that God raises up, and will continue to raise up, believers who have financial resources for Kingdom purposes (or to aid them in their personal assignments).
That said, I’ve witnessed time and time again those who fall victim to the love of money, usually without their awareness. In the process, their hearts drift from Christ-centeredness, their theology becomes skewed, and their relationships begin to revolve around their new value system. Most times, they don’t even realize these things are happening.
How does this happen? First of all, we live in a culture that absolutely glorifies and worships mammon. Whether we like it or not, there is not only a constant temptation, but a constant pressure to reconcile Kingdom values with the cultural ones that have (often unknowingly) shaped our thinking. We do this by subconsciously sifting through Kingdom truths until we find one that seems to mesh with a worldly thought pattern we’ve come to adopt. Even if we have to ignore some cut and dry portions of Scripture to do it, we avoid the conundrum by using the general concepts found in other Scriptures to give spiritual language to our false ideology.
What follows are what I believe to be some very telling questions. Questions that test our hearts, and help us evaluate how Christ-centered our lives and assignments really are, and may help reveal where the love of money has seeped in without us even realizing it. Ask yourself:
- Have I deceived myself into believing I’m free from the love of money, simply because I love what I want to accomplish with money instead of the dollars themselves? This can be a false test, no matter how noble my desired objectives may be. Nobody loves money for it’s own sake. Even the stingiest miser who pinches every penny and lives to see his accounts endlessly accrue – even he is in love with the sense of security and power money brings him. The truth is money is an idea. An idea that represents the power to achieve whatever it is you want, on your terms. To love that idea is to love money.
- Do I measure a person’s (including my own) success by how financially free or prosperous they are? God doesn’t.
- Do I measure God’s favor in peoples lives by their level of financial or material prosperity? God doesn’t.
- If God were to tell me right now that His plan and assignments for me do not include wealth, but only my daily bread instead – would I be 100% okay with that? Or, would I resent it, or try to disregard it or write it off?
- What if God told me that His plan for me actually included some seasons of material lack? Does my view of God even leave room for such a concept?
- Am I living for God’s dream for my life, or my own dream for my life? Have I told God (or myself) that I can’t realize my full potential and do the things I want unless I generate wealth? Have I taken it a step further, and spiritualized the idea by telling God (and myself) that I can’t fulfill my God-inspired destiny without getting more money (and doing so on my terms)?
- Am I truly content with what I have now? Do I recognize that it is a scriptural commandment to be content with what I have now? Even if God’s plan includes leading me towards increase, Godly contentment in the present is still a Biblical mandate.
- Have I come to terms with the reality that a vast majority of the most prominent and favored individuals God raised up in the New Testament were not wealthy – neither when they were called, nor at any time during the fulfillment of their God-given commission. God did indeed bring wealthy households into the Kingdom, and utilized their wealth to great effect – but the fact of the matter still remains that this was not the living reality for most of the NT figures into whose lives we get the clearest picture.
- Have I distorted or muddied the Bible’s clear teaching on money in order to accommodate the narrative I’ve written for my life? Perhaps by replacing or sidestepping the explicit verses regarding riches by misapplying vague Kingdom principles and assigning spiritual lingo to culturally-inspired ideologies?
In closing, I’d like to mention the most prominent NT scriptures concerning money, along with some thoughts to accompany some of them.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)
No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV)
This is as cut and dry as it gets, yet we self-deceive ourselves on this subject all the time. We believe we can love the idea of money and still love God, simply by making our intended objectives Kingdom-oriented. The reality is, we CANNOT make both the pursuit of our heart.
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:28-34 NIV)
This is self-explanatory, but I’d venture to say that every one of us struggles with this. How often do we allow ourselves to be controlled by our needs and fears concerning material provisions, versus being defined by our pre-occupation with God’s Kingdom? This is in no way an endorsement of laziness, nor does it give us permission to shirk our God-given responsibility to work or provide. Rather than laboring out of fear or vanity, though, we are to do so as an outflow of our Christ-centeredness.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Mark 11:15-17 NIV)
I think we need to recognize that the scope of this verse actually does touch our lives, and it’s not just about setting up a kiosk at church. It’s about using and abusing what ought to be sacred and Christ-centered to our own gain or advantage. I think a perfect modern example would be the way I’ve seen some believers squander and damage their relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ through MLMs and related business models.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. (Luke 6:24-25 NIV)
If our source of comfort and joy is related to riches, we’re in trouble.
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Lk 12:13-15)
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Lk 12:16-21)
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.” (Luke 16:10-13 NIV)
God’s primary plumb-line for our stewardship of wealth isn’t how much we’ve multiplied it (though I do believe there is evidence He does consider that). His primary qualification for evaluating our stewardship is really a question – has the wealth become our master and our love? Or does that place in our heart belong solely to God?
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! (Luke 18:22-24 NIV)
The willingness to immediately abandon our wealth (and our ambition towards it) is Christ’s litmus test for the reality of our heart-level devotion to Him.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8 NIV)
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV)
Just as people use the Kingdom to justify what can be an unhealthy pursuit of wealth, we can also use the Kingdom to justify laziness. This scripture counters that by commanding us to pursue a life that’s both quiet and hard-working.
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8 NIV)
As with laziness in the previous passage, this scripture in 1 Timothy lays to rest any hope of justifying poverty in God’s name. We (especially us men) are to provide for our families. Period.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:7-11 NIV)
This is a clarion warning against the desire to get rich, and an indictment against discontentment. This should rattle every one of us in the western church, at least a little bit. We are to FLEE from the destruction that accompanies the desire for money (even if our God-given assignment includes generating it), and instead fill ourselves with the desire for the fruits of the Spirit.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV)
A great short-description of how to steward wealth God has placed in our hands.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV)
Again, we’re commanded to stay free from the live of money. A reminder – money represents the power to achieve what you want out of life on your terms. Do you love that idea?
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. (James 1:9-11 NIV)
It’s the upside down Kingdom, brethren. Let’s not forget that the stark contrast between Kingdom values and worldly ones applies to money, too.
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? (James 5:1-6 NIV)
Are you choosing who to model your life after based on their financial attainment? Are you determining which people to invest your time and energy into based on their financial goals? The problem is that, sadly, that’s financial success is not primarily what “winning” looks like in the Kingdom. Winning looks like having a heart that’s alive with love for God and for our brother. It looks like embodying the fruits of the Spirit. It looks like putting our hands to the plow of whatever God apportions us, without looking back. It looks like patient endurance. Humility. Poorness of spirit. For many, it entails a simple, hard-working life. A life where God provides, but not with the abundance we’ve imagined up for ourselves. Did you stop to think that there are millions of poor in the Kingdom of God? Many of whom you will be looking UP to in the age to come. Many of them are the ones you ought to be modeling your life after here and now.
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. (Revelation 3:17-18 NIV)