“The Love of Money Is a Root of All Sorts of Evil”

This week, we’ve been looking at familiar passages that have often been misunderstood or misapplied. The “misunderstanding” may be that we miss some of the depth of a passage. That’s the focus of my reflection on Psalm 23 (Psalm 23 – Finding Peace As God Leads Us). “Misapplication” can mean that we don’t go deep enough (“Love Your Enemy” – What Does That Look Like In Real Life?). Other passages we’ve considered this week are Philippians 4:13 (What “All Things” Can We Do Through Christ?) and John 15:5 (What Does It Mean to “Bear Fruit” in John 15:5?).

Tomorrow, we’ll turn our attention to Romans 8:28, and consider how to properly understand how “God works in all things.” But for today, our focus is on 1 Timothy 6:10. Even people who don’t know much Scripture have probably heard this verse, or at least part of it. “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.”

Context – The Love of Money

As I frequently do, I want to turn your attention to the context of this verse. Paul is writing to Timothy, his young protégé. He wants to pass along suggestions for ministry and how to lead the Church. In the NASB, chapter 6 is subtitled “Instructions to Those Who Minister.” In the first part of the chapter, he contrasts those who do not understand sound doctrine and those who do. The former are “conceited and understand nothing.” They crave “controversial questions and disputes about words.” Finally, Paul says, they “suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (See 1 Timothy 6:4-5).

That leads into our broader passage for today. “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people 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. But free from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness” (6:6-11).

Greed vs. Contentment

When we looked at Philippians 4:13 earlier this week, we saw that Paul was talking about being content in every circumstance. That is not a normal human response! When we suffer, we complain – to each other, and to God. It is only because of Christ in us that we are able to be content in every circumstance. That’s the focus of Paul’s comment that he can do all things through Christ.

Likewise, in today’s passage, Paul says, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” This is not some novel ideal that Paul came up with; it comes from Jesus Himself. “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

Now, Satan also knows that we sometimes struggle with worrying about such things. We may not be concerned about daily food or clothing, but what about housing? What about medical care? How will we be able to afford the things we need? So Satan tries to turn our attention away from God and onto ourselves. He wants to convince us that we need to take care of such things. But this is the exact opposite of what Jesus teaches us!

The Love of Money Is a Root of All Sorts of Evil

Let me be clear: it is not necessarily bad to have money. Paul does not say that money is the root of all sorts of evil. Instead, it is the love of money that is the root of all sorts of evil. Here’s the difference. When we obey God and walk in His way, He leads us according to His purposes. For some people, and at some times, His purposes may include entrusting us with financial resources. Should we run away when that happens? No! We should trust God, and continue to obey Him and walk in His way.

But at times, we can become too attached to what God has entrusted to us. We forget that it belongs to Him, not us. I like to phrase it this way: do I have money, or does money have me?

If money has me, I start to worry about keeping what I have. I feverishly look for ways to get more. When others have more, I become jealous. And I stop listening to God, particularly when He asks me to give something away. In Galatians 5:20, Paul warns that strife, jealousy, and selfish ambition are among the acts of the sinful nature. The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.

Godliness Plus Contentment Means Great Gain?

So what does Paul mean in verse 6: “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment?” I think this concept is consistent with what is often called the paradox of following Jesus.

• The first shall be last, and the last first (Matthew 20:16)
• Whoever wants to be great must be the servant of all (Mark 10:44-45)
• Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will keep it (Mark 8:35)

But it’s really not that confusing when you think about it. God’s ultimate purpose is to make us like Jesus. Jesus calls us to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. If we’re seeking anything else – power, prestige, money, or anything else – then we’re not seeking His kingdom first. And that’s a problem!

When a rich young ruler came to ask Jesus about eternal life, Jesus told him to go and sell everything and give it to the poor. “He went away grieving, because he owned much property” (Matthew 19:16-26). As he left, Jesus told His disciples that it’s very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom. Not impossible, but hard. Why? Because those who have accumulated wealth often find it hard to let it go. But letting go of everything is what it takes to enter God’s kingdom.

The Love of Money

It’s certainly not my place, nor my intent, to set some guideline for “how much is enough.” Having visited many other countries, I recognize that Americans are incredibly blessed, no matter how “poor” they think they are. When money is important, there’s never enough. When God is what’s first, we can trust Him to supply all that we need.

Last week, I posted a reflection on Luke 12 (“Be on Guard Against Every Form of Greed”). I noted: “Whether the greed is for money, power, prestige, recognition, pleasure, or anything else that the world values, it will corrupt our very souls.” Money is not the only think that can steal God’s place in our lives, but it is probably the most common. I think that’s why Paul focused specifically on money: 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.

Don’t buy Satan’s lies! Your peace and hope lie in Jesus, not in anything this world offers. As Paul closes this passage: “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” Seek God’s kingdom first!