The desire to become rich is as old as man himself. It has caused many to abandon their Christian faith.
The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil; it says "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil" (I Tim.6:10). Money can become our master. But Jesus said that "No man 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 both God and Money" (Matt.6:24 NIV).
Our consuming desire to be rich has many pitfalls for the Christian. There is a false belief in some Christian circles that God wants us to be rich because He loves us so much. Like all lies of the devil, it has enough truth to look acceptable. However, it has destroyed many Christians by feeding them the sinful desire to be rich! If we believe that God wants us all to be rich, many will lose their faith during an economic crisis when jobs and life savings are lost.
Of course, God is more than willing that Christians should not live in poverty, yet He is interested in our financial state only as it relates to the condition of our hearts. Jesus said, "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" (Matt.6:19-20 NIV).
God has promised to feed the children of the righteous (Ps.37:25). As the ravens brought bread to Elijah during the famine (I Kings 17:6) and as God provided food and water to the Hebrews crossing the desert (Exod.16:11-31), we can be assured that if we learn to trust God, He will feed us when we are hungry. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt.6:33).
Although we must build our faith on the assurance that God will provide even in times of famine, yet our faith must not be that God will make us rich. The 'name it and claim it' prayer has put many Christians into bankruptcy because they thought they had found a magic button to push to get rich. They ended up not only with a pile of debts, but in spiritual bankruptcy as well.
Love of money destroys marriages, and often parents work long hours which ought to be spent with their children. Such neglect can cause rebellion--all the result of a desire to buy more and more.
Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matt.19:24). Jesus did not mean that a wealthy man could never make it, but that the deceitfulness of wealth (I Tim.6:9) could trap him into loving it more than the One who gave it to him. Allowing the love of money to become your god would be to break the first of the 10 Commandments (Exod.20:3).
We are to worship God--not money!
© 1999, Doreen Palmer