What does the Bible say about money? This is one of the most important questions to ask for any businessman, or anyone who earns money. this is lesson one of five on how the bible tells us to handle our money.  Before we dive deep into unpacking scripture we have to clear up a couple things first. Earning money is not a bad thing. Nowhere in the bible does it say that you shouldn’t try to earn money. The focus is less about how much money you earn, but what you do with it. We as Christians are called to glorify God in all that we do, including how we handle our money. Today we will focus on the love of money, and how we can fall into the trap of making money and idol.

1 Timothy 6:10 says, “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.” It is not money that is bad. It is man’s constant desire to pursue it above anything else. How do you know if money is an idol in your life? Look at what overwhelms your thoughts throughout the day. Are you constantly thinking about how much money I have and how I can earn more? Or are your thoughts filled with ideas on how you can glorify the Lord in all that you do today? If your pursuit of money leads you into sin, you know it has become an idol. This is a very easy trap to fall into. Like I said money is not a bad thing. The Devil is cleaver and he uses stuff in your life that aren’t necessarily bad to distract you from God.

Luke 12:15 says, “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” In this passage Jesus is the one talking. He makes sure to emphasize that we should be on guard against greed. Greed is one of the sneakiest sins. It’s not easy to spot. In the moment you may be thinking that I need to earn X amount of dollars to provide for myself. Once you reach that amount of money suddenly you want more and over time you fall into this deep pit of dissatisfaction. It may seem like you are just providing for yourself, but what is really happening is you are telling God you don’t need him and you can do it by yourself. The bible tells us that God will provide for us. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be provided for you.” The unfortunate thing to hear is that “these things” doesn’t refer to whatever our earthly heart desires. It refers to the things that we need for the plan God has set before us.