121/365: Money Doesn't Own You

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

Money and possessions are the second most referenced topic in the Bible. Debt is never described as a positive thing. But money and debt seem to be a part of daily life.

So take note, money isn't the root of evil... it's the LOVE of money which is the root.

In the same way - the lack of money is not the root of all worries, either. It's the LUST for money you don't have which causes anxiety, worry, and grief.

May God continue to be your first pursuit. Seek Him first.

GO DEEPER: Matthew 6: 19-24

NEXT STEP: Take inventory - do you have more money woes than you can handle? Are they becuase of "wants" or "needs"?

Jon Daniels

on 05/02/2023 at 05:19 AM

Preached on this yesterday. Such an important topic that consumes so many people’s minds

Kevin Miller

on 05/01/2023 at 07:06 PM

I grew up in an extremely poor family. Now I am rich by those standards. I have a steady job, I’m able to help others, I have a car and a house. It’s enough for us and then some. What really matters is what we do for eternity.

MURRY FERRIS

on 05/01/2023 at 04:15 PM

Money! A big topic in my family when I was growing up. My father, a successful businessman, was always disappointed with me, the choices I made, the career I followed that never made money. My married life too was difficult financially. A working mother who was an alcoholic made a mess of our kids. But God comes through in ways you can’t even imagine. My wife died of alcohol poisoning. A wonderful godly woman came into our lives and with Jesus threw herself into saving us. Then Jesus gave us some real estate opportunities that have made our retirement secure, not rich, but enough to travel and give to others. We buy used, live on a budget, save for our kid’s future, eat healthy, exercise, and try to help people who the Lord brings in and out of our circle. Key to all this is Jesus and putting our prayers and trust in Him. Thank You. Amen

Delray Sheen

on 05/01/2023 at 03:32 PM

Amen thank u all for sharing. I've never really been tested with money as temptation because I have not had very much of it. The Lord God has graciously covered my needs but abundance has yet to come. I feel that new level is coming very soon but I must build structures now. How I handle things will not do for that day and remaining humble is so very important.

Brandon Pembleton

on 05/01/2023 at 02:16 PM

I used to really think that money could solve pretty much any problem. That somehow if I had enough I’d not have to worry about being happy. Which if you turn that sentence into a logic problem it means internally I’m telling myself I can’t be happy until I have a huge some of money. It also says anytime I don’t feel happy it is because I haven’t reached a big enough amount of money to cure it. So it’s an endless circuit of emptiness. There will never be enough money to cure happiness. Simply because money just can’t do that. It has taken me some time to truly understand this. The want of stuff leads to feeling like I don’t have my needs covered. That would make me feel very empty and insecure. It was a life that had little gratitude in it. I understand now money is just a tool like any other that has its uses but it is not medicine for the soul. Only God is medicine for the soul and He is what I am to focus on to be happy and most importantly to be of service to others. That’s the real root of a happy and purpose filled life. That is the life I want and the life I have now. Thank you God for showing me the way and guiding me to it. I am so thankful for it Lord. I love you God amen 🙏

Joseph Fox

on 05/01/2023 at 02:03 PM

Every possession of this world can easily be stolen and robbed, and everything is affected by time and age, as our possessions deteriorate so does our hope because we begin to think we can't keep anything forever so whats the point, but if we keep our eyes on heaven and place all of our treasures in heaven we will not be disappointed the day we leave this world, we can enjoy our worldy possessions for a season but if we keep our treasures in heaven, nobody can steal our hope from us

Ashley Jarvis

on 05/01/2023 at 02:00 PM

Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25 both account Jesus’s words that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Recently at the gym I overheard two guys discussing this, in context. Ive since searched it up and found it to be accurate. The “eye of the needle” was a very narrow and low gateway into Jerusalem. Heavy laden camels would need to be fully unloaded of possessions, and then get down on their knees to essentially crawl inside the gates of Jerusalem. Wow, if that doesn’t highlight our need to become humble and refocused on being generous with what God has blessed us with, I don’t know what will. I, too, was once “wealthy” by worldly standards not long ago. While I have never experienced homelessness, or poverty, my sobriety journey showed me that I was but a few poor choices away from that future, or worse. The past three years have been extremely humbling. I have watched as others left, I was forced to sell things to pay debts, my income drastically fell away. At first, it felt as though it was all being ripped away, but now I see how freeing this life with “little” truly is. I’m by no means perfect in humility, I still have things, but my love for material things has all but been removed from me, and in it’s place I have found empathy and a deep desire to live others around me. This, is the life I always wanted, and it looks nothing like I imagined. Thank you God, I love you, amen 🙏🏻

Boyce Moses

on 05/01/2023 at 01:55 PM

We all have different levels of comfort, but I just want to be comfortable and be able to enjoy life. No lavish life style, just comfortable. God has blessed me and I try to bless others as I can. Money isn’t the answer to everything, God is. Love you Jesus! 💜🤎💛🧡

Steven

on 05/01/2023 at 01:05 PM

Wow Ethan, what a powerful story with so much truth. I grew up with very little and wanted a better life for myself. I thought money would make life easier. I thought I didn't need a lot, just more than I had. I chased money before I realized I wasn't any happier. As I near retirement I want to have enough money that my wife will be taken care of and that her needs are met. Maybe I'm storing up money but it's not to live a grand lifestyle but to honor my commitment to my wife to love and care for her as long as I can, even after I'm gone. My dad taught me that and I thought it was a great sacrifice and an honorable thing to do.

EthanRogers

on 05/01/2023 at 12:26 PM

Being one who came from making a buku-ton of money and buying whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted 2 living in poverty and not being able to afford anything. And penny pinching, scrounging change. Looking at every price at the grocery store and trying to get the best deal, is a different world. But it is not everything, and it does not make happiness, for the more I got the more I wanted. My class of friends definitely changed, and the competition among us was not healthy. It just is never enough. Keeping up with the Jones's when the Jones's got richer. I looked down at poorer people. I was prideful, cocky. I went through a very big humbling. Went to prison for possession of drugs, they auctioned off all my assets, my business, my home. I got out of prison with the set of clothes that they gave me, that did not even fit, my Bible, and some books. I was homeless, my "friends " had no use for me and were gone. I learned that happiness is definitely not created by money. Not having the necessities taken care of is brutal, like shelter, clothing, food. Eventually, God provided everything, but I had to get out of the way. Be careful with how money affects you, I am a greater man today, just getting by, than the self-absorbed, cocky, uncaring, rude, lost man that money made me. Through all that, God ultimately brought me to Him. Saved my soul.

michael f vinning

on 05/01/2023 at 12:24 PM

Just 2 short years ago we managed to be completely debt free for the first time in our lives together-the wife and I-we had these grand plans of how we would stay that way-then the economy, then the van, then the plumbing, then the … well, needless to say, we’re not debt free any more! Oh well…I don’t make enough money to stay out of debt in a broken world…dems the facts and I have stopped stressing about it!! Mostly…lol

Jeff McKinney

on 05/01/2023 at 12:22 PM

The big question in today’s society. When is enough, enough? What are we doing to help our kids to understand the scripture in 1st. Timothy and Matthew?

121/365: Money Doesn't Own You

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