“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV
There are more Scriptures in the Bible about money than there is about Salvation. Why do you think that is? Because money is one of the easiest things to worship instead of God. Money easily influences us, Jesus warned us about it: “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money” (Matthew 6:24 NIV). The truth is, we need money to live, but we wouldn’t be living if it wasn’t for God. God comes first, not money.
How can you tell if money has become an idol for you? First off, is it constantly on your mind? If money is all you think about, it may have become an idol in your life. Matthew 6:21 tells us where your heart is, there your treasure is as well. If all you think about is money, it’s your treasure, not God. Another indicator is if the people around you get tired of hearing you talk about money. It’s tough when you’re struggling to pay the bills, I remember having to choose between putting gas in my car or food in my mouth. But when we focus our thoughts on God, He will provide all we need out of His glorious riches (Phil. 4:19 NIV). The problem is, God doesn’t think we need a new pair of shoes, but He does think we need to learn self control. We have a very skewed vision of what we think we need to live and what we actually need to live. Jesus never had a house, He didn’t have a mortgage. He didn’t eat out at restaurants, He never drove a car or shopped in a mall. Even His offer of salvation is free to those who believe and place their trust in Him. Jesus wasn’t worried about money, He was worried about our salvation.
A third indicator of whether or not money has become your idol is if you’re constantly thinking in terms of future happiness. If thoughts like, “I’ll be happy when I’m debt free” or “If I get a raise, then I’ll be happy” indicate you’re more focused on money than God. If happiness only comes in the form of a shopping bag, you may be consumed by money instead of God. The momentary satisfaction in buying a new pair of shoes is nothing compared to the peace that surpasses all understanding you can only find in Jesus (Phil. 4:7 NIV). Money isn’t evil, it only becomes evil when it becomes our god. Let’s put God first today with this prayer:
Lord, We’re sorry for the times money has taken Your place in our hearts. Help us today realize, You are in control of our finances. All we have is from You, all we do is for You. Help us keep money in its place and You in Yours. You are our one and only God. It’s You we serve, not the dollar. (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV). In Jesus name we pray. Amen
