This week’s lesson looks at what the Bible says about the love of money. An apt subtitle would be, “Does money buy happiness?”
Most of us dream at least occasionally of suddenly acquiring a great deal of wealth. Perhaps your wealth would come through an inheritance, a law suit, or winnings from a game show or contest. Pretend for a moment that you been given $1 million. What would you do with the money?
The most common answers include: buy a house, pay off debt, save for the kid’s college funds, and help my family. I hope your list includes giving back to God through tithing and helping others who have been less fortunate.
Would $1 million put you in a position to never work again? Would you want to be in such a position?
Think About: Would you do anything different if your winnings were $10 million? Would such a large sum of money change your life? If so, how? Would you want to have enough money to be able to retire at 40? 50?
Some of the questions you should think about as you go through today’s Scriptures are:
- Does God want Christians to be rich?
- Doesn’t it seem that those raised in wealth have a difficult time finding their place in life and wind up frequently bored and in trouble?
- Does wealth equate to happiness?
Read 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierce themselves with many griefs.
Question: What is the root of all evil? Not money, but the love of money. Money in and of itself is not a problem. Problems arise when we ‘love’ money. Many crimes have been committed over money.
Questiono: Why is the love of money a problem for believers? Having an excess amount of money leads to a spirit of self-sufficiency. The Bible is clear that God wants believers to recognize their need for God and to be dependent on Him. When we have more than enough money to meet our needs, we may not feel our need for God so deeply.
Read Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
The love of money leads to a spirit of discontent. Wealthy people often hoard money, well above the amount they need for retirement. Rather than using their money to care for others and share God’s love, they become anxious to have a larger and larger bank account.
This fact was borne out in a survey of 165 super-rich households. The respondents in this survey had an average net worth of $78 million, yet most expressed that they did not feel financially secure.
Tomorrow’s post will look at the findings of that survey.
Susan's Reflections 