"MondayReflection"
19th February 2024
'Jamie Rohrbaugh asks'
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"Why Is the Love of Money "The Root of All Evil"? "
Have you ever heard the phrase, "the love of money is the root of all evil"?
Perhaps the way it was spoken and applied has led you to bear a weight of condemnation when you need, enjoy, use, and earn money?
Whether or not this is the case, I want to show you what the Scripture here means in regard to money.
The phrase "the love of money is the root of all evil" is found in 1 Timothy 6:6-12.
However, it's not directly taken from the Scriptures.
It's actually a mis-quotation that drives a lot of people into unscriptural, scarcity-based thinking.
1 Timothy 6:6-12 actually says:
"Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
Notice two things about this passage:
1. The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil, but talks about "the love of money."
2. This is a key difference because the whole passage - when you read it in context - is addressing the state of our hearts:
What we desire,
What we pursue,
What we live for, and
Whether our hearts are set on things above, where Jesus is, or on material things of this earth.
In this passage, the apostle Paul tells us to desire God and all the things of God.
He instructs us to pursue holy things with great passion, rather than setting our hearts and affections on wealth and riches.
This doesn't mean that we shouldn't have money, earn money, save and invest money, enjoy exchanging money for what we need or desire, or otherwise become involved in financial things.
But it does mean that we cannot be emotionally attached to money.
How many movies you have ever seen in which the villain was trying to steal or control power and money?
If you are a fan of the big screen, you may actually have seen dozens or even hundreds of such storylines.
You may not have realized what you were watching, but Hollywood is wrapped up with the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - concisely, the lust for power and money.
At some level, each of us is trying to live for God, so we don't realize how serious the world's addiction to money really is.
However, for people who don't know Jesus, the lust for power and money is immense.
This is why the Lord used the apostle Paul to warn us to resist the love of money.
We are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our strength.
We are to love our neighbours as ourselves.
We are to seek and desire the face of Jesus - along with all the godly and holy things
Loving money has nothing in common with loving Jesus.
Your desire is for Jesus.
You love Him, seek His face, and live only to please Him.
Your emotions are centred on God.
You depend on Him to comfort you, lead you, guide you, and fill you with His power, love, peace, joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
Jamie Rohrbaugh
is an author, speaker, and Presence seeker whose heart is for the local church.
Called to edify, encourage, and equip the Body of Christ, her passion is to see sons and daughters of all ages transformed by the love of Abba Father.
Jamie blogs at FromHisPresence.com about prayer, revival, and the manifest presence of God.
She is the author of four books and of numerous articles around the web.
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