“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
Hebrews 13:5
Our hearts yearn for contentment. It was part of God’s original design. Human beings once enjoyed unspoiled contentment and lived in close communion with God, so we long to go back to that perfect serenity.
That was long ago, before sin entered the world. It was before human beings bought into the lie that God was holding out on them, that they deserved more and could obtain it outside of Him. Even for us who belong to Christ, there is danger of reverting to this way of thinking. At least some part of us still wonders if God might be holding out on us, that we might be better satisfied with more than He has already provided. Or even worse, that God is not trustworthy and might not meet our needs. We become obsessed with gaining wealth and, whether we are successful or not, we become lovers of money.
Ironically, there is an inverse relationship between the love of money and contentment. The more we love it, the less content our hearts will be. A close walk with Jesus and the love of money are mutually exclusive.
That was long ago, before sin entered the world. It was before human beings bought into the lie that God was holding out on them, that they deserved more and could obtain it outside of Him. Even for us who belong to Christ, there is danger of reverting to this way of thinking. At least some part of us still wonders if God might be holding out on us, that we might be better satisfied with more than He has already provided. Or even worse, that God is not trustworthy and might not meet our needs. We become obsessed with gaining wealth and, whether we are successful or not, we become lovers of money.
Ironically, there is an inverse relationship between the love of money and contentment. The more we love it, the less content our hearts will be. A close walk with Jesus and the love of money are mutually exclusive.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 6:19-24
Insight
Money itself is not evil, but often leads to self-reliance. The more we have, the less we perceive our need for God.
Bible In A Year
- Isaiah 6-8
- Psalm 75
- John 16
