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Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
—1 Timothy 6.9-10
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul draws a contrast between those who are content with necessities and those who want to be rich. It is not ungodly to be rich. Many faithful men and women in the Bible were wealthy. But it does seem that the scriptures warn us in pursuing riches. Paul writes that “those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” I’ve seen this to be true in my life.
After my freshman year in college, I landed a sweet internship with IBM. The job paid a lot of money (even in today’s standards) and the work load was light. As a young student, the money became the chief motivator in how I spent my energy. For two years, I enjoyed the benefits of this job, surrounding myself with new gadgets and a not-so-simple lifestyle.
When I had the choice to pursue a summer in missions, I turned it down primarily because I was not ready to pursue the things of God. Rather than be content with basic necessities, I was only content with lavishness.
The pursuit of money distracted me from the things of God. I began to question God’s goodness and was less interested in being a person of faith. My faith had suffered and I found myself struggling with loneliness, bitterness and various issues of lust.
Paul captured it well. I had “wandered away from the faith and pierced myself with many pains.” After two years, I left the job. Most people did not understand why I would quit such a “posh” job.. My faith could not handle the temptations that accompanied the job. I needed a realignment of my values.
This took place over ten years ago and continues to be an important character-building experience for me. I learned a lot about myself and about wealth. I learned that money is not necessarily the means to happiness, nor a solution to many problems. More money ruined my faith and compromised my convictions.
What I needed during those two years was better accountability and truth spoken into my life. I needed to be transparent in how I spent my money and my time and I needed people to ask me important questions that would make sure that I am not trapped by senseless and harmful desires.
Having said that, since we’ve been married, Rhoda and I have been open and transparent about our finances. I have shared my struggles and asked for wisdom in my accountability relationships, precisely because I know that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
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