Loving Money Ignores True Gain - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

Gracetoyou.org ^ | 1997 | John McArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6).

True wealth is found in contentment, not in monetary gain.

Love of money and contentment are mutually exclusive. An ancient Roman proverb says, “Money is like seawater; the more you drink, the thirstier you get.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 summarizes the point this way: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.”

History has also demonstrated that no amount of riches can compensate for a lack of contentment. Millionaire financier John D. Rockefeller said, “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness.” That wealthiest of industrialists, Henry Ford, was quoted as saying, “I was happier doing mechanic’s work.”

The Cynic and Stoic philosophers of Paul’s day were probably more content than any of the modern corporate tycoons. Those philosophers viewed the contented person as one who was self-sufficient, unflappable, and unmoved by outside circumstances. But true Christians have the best understanding of contentment because they know it comes from God. Paul told the Corinthian church, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5; see also 9:8).

The genuine believer, therefore, sees contentment as more than merely a noble human virtue. For him, it derives from the sufficiency God the Father and Christ the Son provide (Phil. 4:19). Thus a godly person is not motivated by the love of money but by the love of God (see Ps. 63:1-5).

The richest person is the one who needs nothing else because he is content with what he has. He adheres to the philosophy of Proverbs 30:8-9, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

Loving money deprives us of the contentment the writer of Proverbs alluded to and Paul wrote about. Such greed also leaves us spiritually impoverished and ignores the great gain that comes from true godliness—hardly the end result any of us should settle for simply because the love of money dominates our life.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God that His daily and weekly provision has been and always will be sufficient for your needs.

For Further Study

Read Psalm 63:1-5.

What attitudes result from the psalmist’s efforts?

What additional insights does the prophet add in Isaiah 55:2 and 58:11?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word ping

[equaviator]

Having earned a legitimate fortune and using it to do good things for yourself and others can’t be a bad thing, especially in the United States of America. Legitimate investors and business owners do want to see their fortunes grow, and like a farmer, he wants to see his crops grow healthy and strong because maybe then he can afford to buy more of that or some other kind of farmland. He pays taxes and he doesn’t need or want unearned income from the government. IMHO, that would be something to take a certain amount of pride in. If you can keep your head above water to the extent that your feet are also dry, you’re not necessarily walking on water, it just means that you’re probably a good American whose intentions are good. It’s not for the love of money, it’s for the love of personal success, however eventual, and perhaps living the kind of life you know you would love to be living and to be able to share it with the people who you feel are deserving of it.

[metmom]

Agreed.

[Mr. Jeeves]

When Christians decry "the love of money" they really mean "the love of the unearned." Money is just a storehouse of value created, after all. But since we have many in the Western world who get rich (such as celebrities and investment bankers) without creating real or lasting value, they attack the storehouse rather than the fraudulent processes that elevated them to wealth:

"Did you get your money by fraud? By pandering to men's vices or men's stupidity? By catering to fools, in the hope of getting more than your ability deserves? By lowering your standards? By doing work you despise for purchasers you scorn? If so, then your money will not give you a moment's or a penny's worth of joy. Then all the things you buy will become, not a tribute to you, but a reproach; not an achievement, but a reminder of shame. Then you'll scream that money is evil. Evil, because it would not pinch-hit for your self-respect? Evil, because it would not let you enjoy your depravity? Is this the root of your hatred of money?" -- Francisco d'Anconia, Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand

[zeestephen]

I volunteer to accept 100% of the money that is causing unhappiness.

I am personally immune and will donate $81,000 on the first day of every quarter to Free Republic.