by Ryan Brenner

Created on: September 30, 2009

We have often heard that the love of money is the root of all evil. It would appear that as you look at our world these ancient words are truer than ever. More and more we hear stories on the news of families broken over money issues, or people going to jail because they did something of a less than savory nature to get their hands on more of it. Yet, money is not going away. It is a commodity that we need to function in society, and more to the point need just to survive. So what do we do? How do we dance on an almost daily basis with this temptress and not fall prey to it?

Well, first of all, we need to understand that it is the love of this powerful resource that is wrong and that will lead to all kinds of trouble. It is not necessarily having the money that is going to do us in. In our lives it becomes an issue of priorities and where those priorities are. Is our goal to have the biggest house, the biggest TV, the nicest car, and the luxury vacations? If it is then we are doomed to end up like the countless thousands who have lived a completely empty life full of material things. Our history as humans is full of those who have done just this, and the end of their lives is often a sad and lonely tale.

Where did they go wrong?

They fell into a trap that any of us could fall into. They saw the money in their accounts and bonds as their own they had earned it they had worked for it. True enough in one sense, but when we see things in this light (and we all do at times) we are doomed to be slaves to the bills and coins that fill our pockets. To break free we need to take a different approach and a radically difficult one to take, but if we embrace it we do not need to worry about money, or be held captive by it again.

The bible tells us that, "The earth is the Lords and everything in it." This means that all the money we have belongs to him anyway. We are stewards or managers of this money for only a time. Obviously, we are going to need some of this money to care for our families, pay our bills, and there is nothing wrong with that family vacation every second week of July. However, if we see money in that light we may feel less of a need to be controlled by the accumulation of it, and more of a freedom to ask what we can do for others with it. If we can begin to see money as not our own, but belonging to our creator we can think of ways to use it to bring glory to him, which in turn will lead to contentment and joy in our own lives.

I know this is hard, and it becomes even harder in a capitalist culture where we are free to pursue money much more freely than most of the world. (Incidentally, I am not saying capitalism is bad. In fact, I believe that if you measure it against other system this is the system that gives people the most opportunity to be treated with dignity and respect. That's not always the case, but it is much more so than with communism.) It is really hard when we want those nice things, and we see others with them. Yet, for just a moment reflect back on some of the big purchases you have made. Did it make you really happy? Do you even use it that much anymore? Did it significantly in any way change your life?

If I looked at those questions in light of purchases and pursuits I've made I am often forced to answer with a resounding NO.

We need a new approach. We need to ask what we can do to be good stewards of what we have, and what we will have to help others.

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