Archives for September 2003

Money is not the root of all evil. The Bible says, “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” (I Timothy 6:10). The use of money can be very worthwhile. It can be used to build orphanages and hospitals, to feed the poor, to preach the gospel, to build universities, to educate people in righteousness, to establish churches, and to broadcast the gospel.

It takes money to print Bibles, to publish religious books, and to advertise evangelistic meetings. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with money.

The question is, what is money being used for? Is it being used for God’s glory, or is it being used only for pleasure? Is it being used for pride, to support dictators, and for the purchase of arms with which to kill people, or is it being used for a higher purpose?

The love of money is a root of evil, because some people love money more than they love God. Jesus said man cannot serve God and Mammon (the false god of riches and avarice) see
Matthew 6:24.

The wage earner must earn money to stay alive. We call it “earning a living.” In earlier societies, if a man had no wages he faced literal starvation and death. A supply of food insulated him from the fear of death by starvation. Later, money became the substitute for supplies of food and clothing. Soon, those who had more forgot the reason they had accumulated so much wealth. The pursuit of money became an end in itself–a status symbol–a measure of achievement. The question, “How much is he worth?” almost always refers to money–not musical ability, athletic ability, or spirituality.

The rich man begins to feel superior to those who have to earn a living. He can enjoy a life of luxury that is not available to the average person. He is also given tremendous power and can use his money to control and dominate other people. Money has become so important that men will lie, cheat, bribe, defame, and kill to get it. The love of money becomes the ultimate idolatry. This is why Paul said, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

It has been taught for many years that holiness and poverty go hand in hand. The apostle Paul said, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.” Then he added, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:12-13).

You can be just as holy when you are financially comfortable as you can be when you are poor. Perhaps it is easier to cry out to God for help when you are in need. But if Christians sanctify God in their hearts ahead of material concern, they should be able to live above their circumstances whether that includes prosperity or poverty.

Poverty is a curse, not a blessing. It is certainly not equated with righteousness. It comes sometimes because of the horrors of war, sometimes because of unjust or unwise government, sometimes because of oppression by the greedy and the ruthless, sometimes because of disobedience to God’s commandments, and sometimes because of lack of knowledge of God’s principles of blessing. Sometimes a transition from one of God’s destinations to another brings temporary poverty. Sometimes temporary poverty follows a satanic attack or a serious and unexplainable calamity. Whatever its cause, poverty is not equated with holiness.

Some voluntarily take a vow of poverty so that they can give themselves totally to God. In that situation, poverty becomes a blessing for those people, because they have given up material riches for God. However, simply being poor is not a sign of holiness. Of course, neither is being wealthy. Godly people are those who are content wherever God has placed them and are serving Him to the best of their abilities, irrespective of material circumstances.

The first step in forgiveness is to recognize your resentment against an enemy. You must understand who the enemy is and what he has done to hurt you. Then you must consciously say, “I forgive that person for the following wrongs against me.” Then repent of your feelings against your enemy and ask God to forgive you, even as “we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4).

After that, begin to pray actively for your enemy’s good. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies and that doing this will help to fill us with love for them.

When you pray for your enemies, asking God to meet their needs and manifest Himself to them, you are overcoming evil with good. Instead of fighting negative thoughts in your mind, you are filling your mind with positive thoughts. You are now on the side of your enemy; you have a spiritual stake in his well-being. If God answers your prayer, which you want Him to do, the person prayed for will be blessed, and you will learn about redemption–the ultimate form of forgiveness.

Keep in mind that if you ask God to bless somebody, God will bring that person to a condition where blessing is possible. God will not bless an evildoer until he or she repents of sin, provides restitution where necessary, and gets right with God. So if you ask God to bless someone who has wronged you, the result may well be a repentant sinner and a new brother or sister in the Lord!

An employee owes his employers the duty of behaving as if he were working for Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). It also tells us that we are not to seek to please men but to serve the Lord Jesus Christ (see Galatians 1:10, I Thessalonians 2:4). Wherever you work–in an office, as a union member, in a factory, as a salesman, or in any other place–you are to act as if you are working for Jesus (see I Corinthians 10:31).

Remember that our reward will come from Him. Whatever the nature of the person you are working for, you should love that person, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart.

An employer, on the other hand, is to be gentle and tender with his employees, especially if the employees are Christians. Such employees are to be treated as brothers in the Lord. The book of Philemon consists of a letter that Paul wrote about a runaway slave. Paul told Philemon that his runaway slave had become a Christian. Because of this, Onesimus was no longer just a slave, but was now a brother in Christ and should be treated as such. Modern employers must see their employees as precious creatures made in the image of God. They are not just numbers, or nameless faces on an assembly line. They are people for whom Christ died!

Together, employers and employees should respect each other, work in harmony, and remember the basic commandment of Jesus: “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12). This golden rule should underlie all labor relationships. If you would not want to be put in a dust-filled room with poor light and no toilet facilities, and allowed only a fifteen-minute break for lunch, do not put your employees under those conditions.

Conversely, if you, as an employee, do not appreciate shoddy workmanship, constant bickering, and lack of respect for your personal property, remember that your employer has the same dislikes.

In short, employers and employees should acknowledge the claim of God on both, the God-given dignity of both, and the mutual consideration that each would want if roles were reversed.

Coveting is an inordinate desire to have something that someone else has, whether it is a car, house, employee, wife, husband, or anything else. Coveting is a condition of the heart–an inner condition which ultimately leads to an outer offense. If someone covets something that someone else has, it can lead to lying, to bearing false witness, to committing murder, to stealing, or to any number of other crimes, even war between nations.

There are a finite number of houses, lands, automobiles, wives, and husbands in this world, so we are not permitted to desire what already belongs to someone else. Coveting is followed ultimately by a clash of wills, painful unhappiness, or open conflict. But God Himself is infinite, and His supply for His people is infinite. We need not covet what belongs to another. Instead, we can ask God to supply, peaceably and freely, the desires of our hearts.

We are permitted, however, to covet God Himself, to long for Him, because there is enough of Him for everyone. God is not diminished if one person “takes” a great share of Him. An equally great share is available for you and for everyone else in the world. So you can let all your desire for fulfillment be devoted toward desiring God. As Jesus put it, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

We must also guard against wanting to be another person. For instance, Billy Graham is a great man. But I am not Billy Graham and I cannot be. God did not choose me to do what Billy Graham does, nor did He choose Billy Graham to do what I do. I can do things he cannot do, and he can do things I cannot do. But if I desire to be him, and he wants to be me, then we both have serious trouble.

Some people are successful entertainers, some are businessmen, some are politicians, some are athletes, some are craftsmen. God gives talents, abilities, and situations that are suitable for each individual. We need to seek His perfect will for each one of us, not the career achievement of another.

To attempt to be someone else can set a person upon a false course which can lead to heartbreak, frustration, and even destruction.