Not to sound like Captain Obvious, but money is very powerful. It can shape how we make decisions, how we see the world, the jobs we take, how we treat others, how we vote, even our identity. Are these facts good or bad? It depends how we use them. Let’s see what Scripture has to say about both sides.
Many people see money as evil. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” —1 Timothy 6:10 NIV
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for money: “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.” —Matthew 26:14–15 NIV
We also see how money corrupted Israel leaders in the Old Testament, and the subsequent consequences:
“11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,
her priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say,
‘Is not the Lord among us?
No disaster will come upon us.
12 Therefore because of you,
Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,
the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” —Micah 3:11–12 NIV
But money is not inherently bad. Whether it be one trillion dollars or simply one dollar, that money is still a tool. Money is a lot like power. In November of 2021, Pastor Ben Stuart of Passion City Church DC gave a great explanation of what power does to a person in a sermon titled, “Inconvenient Obedience.” In it, he says, “Power is an accelerator of what’s already there in you.”
The same is true when we acquire large amounts of money. That’s why the formation of character is so critical before acquiring money because if you don’t know how to control it, it will control you. A more modern example of this corruption is Donald Trump. This can clearly be seen in three different ways:
1) The title of his niece’s book about him, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump, Ph.D.;
2) The decor of his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago: ‘Gold, gold, gold’: A look inside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and $100 million New York City penthouse; and
3) Charging the Secret Service “exorbitant” hotel rates to protect the first family.
So, how can you make money good and pleasing to God? Live by some money principles God has already outlined in His word. Here are 7 Money Principles from the Bible. Also, be content with what you have so that if money or wealth is added to you, it won’t change how you live your life.
Mind@Work 