Posted on 08/03/2017 7:22:45 AM PDT by metmom
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).
There are specific indicators that warn us if we are loving money.
Today’s verse is a classic reference and contains the overarching scriptural principle concerning our attitude toward money. In referring to the love of money, Paul is essentially talking about the sin of greed. That sin is a serious offense in God’s eyes, which means we ought to desire with all our hearts to have victory over it. And we can begin to achieve such victory by recognizing the major warning signs of greed or money-love.
There are at least five major behavior and attitude symptoms that reveal the presence of greed in one’s life. First, if you are truly a lover of money, you will be more concerned with acquiring it than with giving an honest, quality effort in everything you do. Believers are to pursue truth and excellence first of all, and God will see to it that we receive the proper monetary rewards.
Second, if you are greedy, you will feel that you never have enough money. Your attitude will be like the leech’s daughters who constantly say, “Give,” “Give” (Prov. 30:15).
Third, if you love money, you will tend to flaunt what it can buy. You will be unduly eager to show off clothing, your new car or truck, or the new property you just purchased.
Fourth, if you are a slave to greed, you will resent giving your money to support worthwhile causes or help other people. You will want to keep everything to spend on your own selfish desires.
Finally, if you are in love with money, it is likely you will sin to obtain more. That could include cheating on your income tax return or expense account report or shortchanging customers.
If you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:4-5; Matt. 22:35-38), none of those symptoms will be in your life to hinder your pursuit of Him. That’s what Jesus meant when He said we can’t love and serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24).
Suggestions for Prayer
Pray that God would make the allure of money so faint for you that you would never be a slave to greed.
For Further Study
Write out and memorize Philippians 4:11. Carry it with you, and quote it to counteract the greedy thoughts of dissatisfaction that arise periodically.
Studying God’s Word ping
I was listening the the bible on my way to work a few weeks ago and came upon this scripture and a not so subtle meaning suddenly hit me.
It is wisdom 101 to know that it does not say “Money is the root of all evil”. But what many of us say is that what it really says is “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.”
However, it doesn’t say that either. To further clarify it, the word “all” does not apply. The love of money is significant in the verse, but it is only one source of evil. There are others. e.g. sex.
What it is saying is simply that of all the roots that are feeding the tree of evil, the love of money is a big one. I suspect, though, that the tap root is sex. I only say this because the bible singles out sexual sin because it is sinning against your own body.
But I may be diluting the subject here.
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil”
Kinda a description of our government.
Many make the mistake in quoting that ‘Money is the Root of All Evil’ when that is not the case. It is the ‘LOVE of Money is the Root of All Evil’. Please note.
It does say *A* root, not *THE* root.
And in the Greek, it’s all kinds of evil, not all evil.
Probably pride would be the root of it all, as when Satan fell, but I’m not claiming to know for sure. Just would not be surprised.
There is a lot of stuff like that in the bible - nuanced wording does not mean what people interpret it to mean when they don’t actually study it.
The more I study, the more I shift away from “traditional” views of quite a few things. Some of those traditional views may only be traditions of my particular corner of Christianity.
The biggest one to change for me is that I no longer believe in Hell and, especially that non-believers suffer consciously for all eternity. And that one has been the most difficult. I’ve had to leave two dogmatic churches because of it.
For the desire of money is the root of all evils; which some coveting have erred from the faith, and have entangled themselves in many sorrows.
The love of sex does not always lead to money but the love of money will lead to immoral sex and every other sin of the body and every other sin period.
So i believe it is useless to get into the definitions of love of money .
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