Power Point - October 28, 2004
And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
--Deuteronomy 8:18
There’s nothing wrong with making money and earning a living. We all have to do it to survive. The Bible says it is God who gives us the power to get wealth in the verse mentioned above. But your heart is greater and more valuable than any material possession.
Jesus gave us this powerful warning in Luke 12:15: “Take heed and beware of covetousness,” which is materialism or greed. A greedy spirit can develop in a hurry, because money has a way of deceiving us into thinking that it’s all we need.
Jesus followed His warning with the parable of the rich, greedy farmer in Luke 12:16-21). This successful businessman set his heart on his wealth and ended up having to face the God he had ignored.
The Scripture says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Paul didn’t say that money itself is evil, but that it tends to exert a downward pull on our hearts. This pull was illustrated in a fascinating George Gallup survey that asked participants what effect money has on a person’s spirituality. Among people who reported making more than $50,000 a year, 62 percent said money caused their spiritual lives to decline. Only 25 percent of this group said money promoted spiritual growth.
Keep in mind that Satan is looking to use anything he can to ambush you and cause you to fall. Don’t let him have hold of your life, or cause you to stumble through greed and money. The wealth you have in your possession is only because of God’s unfailing blessing in your life. Thank Him for the provisions He has given, and ask Him to help you resist the love of money that may tempt you in the future.
