God vs. Money - The Eternal Battle!!

In society today, most of us are taught from birth that we need to do well in school so we can get a higher education all for the purpose of getting a good job and making lots of money and living a nice and comfortable life. Advertising tells us that we need to have materialistic things such as nice cars, the newest fashions, and the coolest toys to be happy.

However, in reality, once we get these things, we will always want more. We will always want the next best thing and all for what? Image? Satisfaction? Is it all worth it? Will we ever be satisfied?

Now what does the Bible say about money? It clearly says in 1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

It is so easy to view Money as an idol. Since money is practically what we need to survive. It is so easy to always want and desire it. If we had to compare our relationship with Money with our relationship with God... Again, I think most of us can say that we're treating God pretty badly right now in comparison to how much we value Money.

Also, in Matthew 6:19-24

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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. 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.

I want to bring attention the bold text. The first one "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where is your treasure? Where is your focus? Is the thing you treasure the most your relationship with God or is it your bi-weekly paycheque? It's a tough question and I'm sure if we all had to answer that honestly, we would probably say it's the money. Myself included.

I want to bring forth a couple of core beliefs from my Sunday School from our section on Simplicity.

A. To believe that everything that we have is a gift from God - even our wage which we "earn".

Now we are taught to give approximately 10% of our wage in tithing. However, if you think about it, how did you come by that job in the first place? Where did that money come from? Was it not a gift from God? Isn't it true that EVERYTHING that you own is really God's and that He can choose when, where, and how to give it away?

C. To have our stuff available to others; willing to share, and even give away.

This is one that has really hit me hard. God has been really pressing on my heart to give what little I have away. As a student, I don't have very much money but I keep on reading this and I realize... it's not my money to begin with... If God wants to give it away to someone, I should be quick to do so.

This is my thoughts on the passage. Our earthly things, we need to be detached enough from them that if/when God calls us to give it away, we would be willing to give it freely.

I also want to bring attention to the second bold text, "You cannot serve both God and Money." I think that answers the question, "Is it possible to serve both God and Money?" Just like it mentions in 1 Timothy 6:10. Need I say more?

These are my thoughts on money and God. I really believe that God blesses us with money. Did he not bless Solomon with riches beyond his wildest dreams? 1 Timothy 6:10 says that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil..." Money itself is not evil, it is how we ourselves perceive it. If we begin to start loving money then it will corrupt us and lead us astray, "Either he will hate the one and love the other..." However, if we are responsible with it and remember that it is but a gift from God, then I really believe that we CAN live with both God and money.

GOD ALWAYS BEING NUMBER ONE IN OUR LIVES

God Bless you all!!