Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
I reckon what a beautiful world we would live in if our relationships were everything and money was nothing more than a useful tool. Money is neither good nor bad. It’s neither good nor evil. Money is simply a tool. This tool enables us to pay for goods or services, be it paying bills, taking care of our families, taking care of the less fortunate, and ultimately making our lives a little more comfortable.
The view held that money is evil or bad has caused many to:
- Block opportunities from flowing their way, which would have otherwise allowed them to make even more money in the long run, ultimately sabotaging their own success.
- Neglect taking care of our finances and instead choosing the path of coasting along through life and praying that everything will work itself out in due season. You ignore money completely. You may have unopened bills. You are unaware of how much real debt you have. You don’t know your current credit card balance, bank account balance, or total monthly expenses. You put off dealing with money as much as you can.
- Repel money by spending unnecessarily. You lie to yourself about your financial situation. You don’t own up to the real situation of being in debt. Instead, you “treat yourself” by spending even more money on things you do not need.
Today, money is universally believed to be powerful, but the purpose of money is to simply facilitate relationships, as it is the wild card of the barter system. We have, unfortunately, gotten to a place where people want the money without the relationship.
When one finally understands what money’s purpose really is, they will be free from the tyranny of Mammon (the idol worshipped as the giver of riches). Money is not evil, and many believers falsely claim that to have wealth is inherently evil. It is one’s belief or love of money that is the root of many problems, not the money itself. “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.” (Timothy 6:10)
As Kingdom believers who are either working a 9-5, entrepreneurs, or doing both, I encourage you to see money for what it is, a simple tool that can be used to help yourself and others.
