Keep it in Check

Below is the daily Bible reading I am doing for the West Side Church. Please feel free to follow along.

Today’s reading comes to us from Proverbs 13. In many of the proverbs in the reading there is advice about money. When you take some of those as stand along passages they might give the idea that money is an evil. Proverbs such as … “A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears not threat” … or … “One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing: another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.” By themselves these passages can make wealth and money seem like they are evil. However, if we take the passages surrounding these and throughout the entire chapter we have a completely different picture.

Look at these verses … “Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly” … “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored” … “A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away” … “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” Now these passages stand in contrast to the ones quoted before.

So where should we stand on the issue of money? Money is must in our society. Without money we cannot function. Without money we cannot participate in society. Money is how we purchase homes, food, clothing, and transportation. Without money we would not survive. However, we must have a proper understanding and appreciation of money. I love what Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:10 … “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.” Money is not evil, did you read the words of Paul … the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Money is evil when it drives you. Money is an evil when it consumes your life. Money is an evil when you have lost the prudence, wisdom, and righteousness it takes to handle it. So when you examine the way you handle money how do you measure up? Hopefully it won’t be a hard pill to swallow.