Do You Love Money?
Choose God Over Money!
Money is one of those things you can’t live without. This is why Jesus said “money is a master”; that tells me I need to have an intentional philosophy when it comes to money.
Luke 16 (NIV)
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Jesus said that.
I understand why Jesus calls money a master; we build our lives around money; it’s controlling our actions and reactions; it plays a major role in our decision making in everything. What time you get up, what time you go to bed, where you live, where you aspire to live, how much time you spend with your kids. This thing called money touches every part of our lives.
Snoop Dogg may have said it best:
“I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind”
As a believer your view of money has to come from the word of God, being rooted and grounded in the word allows you to function from a kingdom perspective when dealing with the concept of money.
Make sure you have money and money doesn’t have you!
It’s being in the kingdom that prohibits the lust of money (the spirit) to consume your mind. You may or may not know that there’s a spirit attached to money. This spirit causes people to disregard these morals, values, family, consequences and everything else when it comes to getting money. If you don’t know you should know that some people will lie, steal, cheat and kill for money. I have witnessed people coming out of their character when money is involved. When you have no spiritual covering, spirits are free to put a hook in your nose and lead you wherever they want and the spirit of mammon has been ruling some of us since the concept of money was created. Part of this world system is built on the desire for money, materialism and greed; we see and hear it in all facets of all society.
1 Timothy 6 (NIV)
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.
(Even though I point out this verse read the whole 6th chapter to gain the complete intent.) Money in itself is not good or evil: money is just a tool; it’s the frame of mind of individuals who determine how money is used. It comes down to influence and motivation are you influenced by the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of God? Most people pass over the key point that this verse (1 Timothy 6:10) makes: it’s the word “Love”. When you get attached at that level it’s a problem in God’s view; because He knows where it leads when you attach at that level.
God is not against you having money: He is against you serving money!
The issue is your ideal of money
- How you see it
- What you believe it does for you
- What you believe it does for others
- How you use it
- Your motives
Ecclesiastes 5 (NIV)
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
One of the best answer for getting a kingdom perspective on how to see money is given in Matthew 6:25-34. It talks about where your first priority should be and gives us the best directive that we all should be following: “Do Not Worry”. This comes back to trusting Daddy God. This whole concept of money is boiled down to this: are you going to trust God or money?
Ecclesiastes 10 (NIV)
A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.
Don’t let that last line mess you up money is only an answer if you think or see it as the answer. It’s a matter of perspective whether you see through a worldly lens or the kingdom of God’s lens. There are some things that money can’t get for you – sleep, joy, true happiness, peace, love, God, favor of God, blessings of God, and wisdom. I want you to know money can’t do everything.
So back to the question at hand ‘Do You Love Money?’ Well …do you?
Proverbs 10 (AMPC)
22 The blessing of the Lord—it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].
Proverbs 11 Living Bible
28 Trust in your money and down you go! Trust in God and flourish as a tree!
Mark 8 (Living Bible)
36 And how does a man benefit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul in the process?
Kingdom Perspective:
How you get your money matters! What you do with your money matters!
Seek the word because the word works if you work it.
Randy McKinney