Money Dangers

1 Timothy 6:10
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Money is one of those things in life that can either be a blessing or a curse. Many believers find themselves walking in dangerous territory when it comes to their finances. Many look at money as an end instead of looking at it as a tool to finance the work of the LORD. In the verse above, God shows us the dangers of money, but in the following verse God shows how to avoid these dangers. As a wise believer in Christ, you would be wise to learn these dangers and how to avoid them. Let me show you these dangers and the solutions to avoiding them.

The “love of money” is the first danger you must avoid. The “love of money” is the core of danger when it comes to money. You will notice that money in itself is not a danger, but loving it is. The “love of money” is simply getting to the point where money is your answer to everything. The “love of money” changes your focus of what is important in life. You will never have a problem of loving money if you keep Christ as your primary and first love. When Christ is your first love, money will move down your list of importance.

Coveting money is the second danger that must be avoided. The word “coveted” comes from the same word as “cupidity.” In other words, when your desire for money equals your desire for the love of the opposite gender, you will find yourself doing things to get money that you would normally would not do. We often say that love is blind; but may I remind you that loving money will blind you to want anything your eyes desire which leads to debt and regret. You must guard your desire for money that it doesn’t affect your focus in life.

“Many sorrows” is the third danger that must be avoided. Loving money and coveting it will always lead to desiring things which leads to great debt. You must watch out for the “many sorrows” that clamor for your money. Every day you will find “many sorrows” that ask you to purchase them. My friend, avoid those things that lure your passions to purchase them. The best advice I can give concerning those things that sound good today is to wait until next week to see if you really need them. You can avoid the dangers of “many sorrows” that eat away at your finances if you learn to wait before you purchase.

If these are the dangers of money, what is the solution to overcoming them? The solution is found in verse 11 when God says, “…flee these things…” You must run from these three areas like you would run from something that is trying to kill you. The only way to “flee these things” is found in the latter part of verse 11 where God says, “…follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” The answer to avoiding the money dangers is to keep focused on serving the LORD and serving others. Breaking down this list gives the answer to avoiding these dangers. For instance, “righteousness” is performing spiritual acts. “Godliness” is living like God. “Faith” is obeying God and trusting that He will provide. “Love” is staying focused on others. “Patience” is waiting for God to come through. “Meekness” is not having to impress people with what you have. This list is your answer to avoiding the money dangers. If you will embrace this list, you will avoid those dangers that money causes.

Author: Allen Domelle