What we really love is defined by how we spend our time and our energy, we may spend a lot of time and energy on our job or business and that time may be needed but do we include the Lord?
Paul informed Timothy that the love of money is a root of all evil but Paul also instructed believers to work for food and to feed the poor but also to work as unto the Lord.
Work is good and something the Lord gave people for their benefit since the garden of Eden before the fall and Jesus taught that we would be working on bigger and better things in the world to come not just sitting on clouds playing the harp.
There is, however, a difference between working for food, clothes and whatever we need and the greed that comes with the love of money. After all, Jesus warned that we cannot serve two masters, we will love the one and hate the other, so we must choose, the love of God or the love of money.
If we love God, we work hard to not only benefit ourselves but to benefit others. We work to humble ourselves and submit to our boss and our customers willing to serve as if we worked for God Himself. When we earn more than we need, we are willing to give to others, feeding the poor and clothing the naked.
This allows us to build instead of break down, whether it is family, church or community, we encourage and love, build faith and hope, we are a blessing. We put the needs of others before ourselves, because we imitate God the Father and God the Son, we love God.
If we love money, we are always seeking our own place and putting our needs first. As a result we believe that everyone is trying to take what we have and we therefore try to take what others have before they can take ours.
We become self centered and unkind, breaking down instead of building up. Our hearts become hard and bitter and we are not able to have any meaningful and lasting relationships because we are looking for ways to get ahead which means others must lose, after all we have to look out for ourselves or who will.
Who do you really love? Where are your thoughts and your focus on the Lord and His ways or on yourself and what’s in it for you.
Why is the love of money a root of all evil? Because, the love of money is the love of self and this material world. Paul was also the one who said you came into this world with nothing and you will leave this world with nothing, so you might as well lay up for yourself treasures in heaven by doing the good works that scripture requires.
