Money: The Love Affair That’s Never Enough

Money. We all need it. You can’t buy stuff without it, right? Sure, there are things like credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo and other purchasing options, but ultimately, it’s a transfer of money from one person or entity to another. The question is, where does money rank in our priority lists? When do our needs turn into insatiable wants?

Years ago, someone posed a question to John D. Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire. At the time his family name was synonymous with wealth and influence. The reporter asked, “How much is enough?” Rockefeller famously responded, holding a thumb and forefinger slightly apart, “Just a little bit more.”

 

Imagine, the richest person in the world at that moment calmly stating that what he had wasn’t enough. I suspect most of the affluent elites of today would say much the same thing. I still remember a pro athlete a few decades back who was awarded a contract making him the highest-paid player in his sport. He was ecstatic – until a couple weeks later when a rival player received an even larger contract. His proud grin twisted into a dissatisfied frown in a matter of moments.

 

This is hardly a phenomenon of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. In fact, a few thousand years ago King Solomon – purportedly the wealthiest man of his time by far – made this sage observation about money: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless”  (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

 

It may indeed be meaningless, but that doesn’t stop people from chasing it. Every day we can turn on the TV and see a program or hear reports about wildly rich celebrities and their mansions. Some of them get on a soapbox decrying the needs of the poor while indulging in levels of lavishness most of us can’t even imagine. See any hypocrisy there?

 

We read about entrenched politicians, who supposedly ran for office to serve the public, who have found out public service can be quite lucrative, leading them to dishonesty and corruption. Seems they never read the warning of 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.” 

 

Contrary to the understanding of some, this verse doesn’t say money is the root of all evil. But it does give birth to an amazing array of evils, such as greed, immorality, blackmail, embezzling, stealing, robbery, and many manifestations of dishonest and unethical behavior. Worst of all, the love of money can seduce even the faithful, causing them to compromise or turn away from their devotion to the Lord.

 

This is why Jesus, in the middle of His ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). 

 

Some translations use the word “mammon” instead of money, but the meaning is the same. If wealth and affluence are the object of our affections, they can’t help but diminish our love for God.

 

Does this mean that to be a follower of Jesus Christ one must take a vow of poverty? No, although there certainly have been some who have found that necessary for them to serve Him with single-minded determination and intensity.

 

I have a friend who said before committing his life to Christ, “I could touch manure and it would turn into gold.” After his spiritual rebirth however, he admitted, “I could touch gold and it would turn into manure.” But after spending the early part of his adult life in the unrelenting pursuit of money, he now agrees with Solomon that it indeed was meaningless. He has no regrets that Jesus has taken top priority in his life.

 

Even if we’re not numbered among the financially elite “10 percent” politicians are always talking about, that doesn’t provide immunity from the lure and love of money. We can visit a friend’s home and find ourselves feeling jealous of what they have. We can see a shiny, just-out-of-the-showroom luxury car and fantasize about what it would be like to possess one like it. We can envy folks who seem to be on a never-ending parade of amazing journeys to places we’ve only seen on TV and in magazines. 

 

Surely there have been people in Third World countries living in huts of straw who have felt greatly envious of others in their villages whose dwellings had roofs of tin. Wealth is relative, but the love of money and what it can provide is universal.

 

So, what are we to do about this? Do we simply offer the excuse, “Well, I’m only human?” Should we justify feeling angry toward God for giving us less and someone else more? We can – but such thinking won’t bring us one inch closer to the Lord. It might even erect a wall that could disrupt or permanently short-circuit our relationship with Him.

 

Or we can confess our misplaced love and follow the advice of the writer of Hebrews who admonished, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

In our materialistic, consumer-oriented world this is much more easily said than done. But do we believe it? Do we, by faith, trust that God will meet our needs and contentedly believe that is enough – not “just a little bit more”? 

Do You Know Where Your Treasure Is?

Treasure. When comes to mind when you hear that word? I think of buried treasure, the whereabouts of which can only be discovered via a crude treasure map. Or maybe swashbuckling pirates sailing the ‘seven seas,’ searching for gold and jewels they can stash in their treasure chest. “Yo, ho, ho! Avast, me hearties!” (I’m not sure what that means.)

 

I remember as a boy reading novels about epic treasure hunts. Adventure, mystery, and intrigue. Not only the search for treasure but also discovering exactly what’s been hidden. The wonders of a young person’s imagination! 

Engaging in a great quest for treasure sounds like fun, but in one sense it’s unnecessary. Because deep down, we all know where our treasure can be found. As Jesus wisely and divinely observed, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

 

Reversing what He said, all we need to do is ask ourselves, what are our passions? What are those things we value above all else? When we awaken each morning, what comes immediately to mind – the primary objects of our focus and desires over the course of the day? When we answer questions like those, we can quickly discern where our hearts (and our treasure) are.

 

“Treasure” can mean many things to just as many people. For some it’s their marriage or family. Nothing is more important. For others, it’s career – pursuing promotions, authority and prestige, along with the requisite financial rewards. Or it might be an ever-growing investment portfolio, necessitating frequent daily checks on how the stock market’s doing. Picture King Midas counting and recounting his extensive stash of cash.

 

That long-coveted car is the treasure some embrace. You can tell by how they react when even a small scratch mars the impeccable finish. Similarly, some find their treasure in houses, designed and decorated with much care and expense. Others might treasure education and the never-ending quest for knowledge, producing a parade of collegiate degrees and commendations.

 

We could add many other potential treasures to this list, but whichever ones we choose they tend to consume copious amounts of energy and time. During His ‘sermon on the mount,’ just before declaring that what we treasure follows what’s in our heart, Jesus admonished:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal”(Matthew 6:19-20).

 

Pondering that gives a different perspective of those things that command our attention. Most of the things we value most – our stuff, bank accounts, hobbies and pastimes – eventually will lose their luster. As someone once said and has often been repeated, we never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer. Everything we’ve devoted our lives to acquiring we’ll have to leave behind.

 

Recognizing that within the context of eternity our earthly lives are little more than the blink of an eye, doesn’t it make sense to “store up treasures in heaven,” as Jesus said?

 

What are those treasures? Again, these can take many forms, but first and foremost is ensuring that our eternal relationship with God is secure. That we’ve repented of our sins, received His forgiveness, and trusting in Christ’s atoning death on the cross, gained the new spiritual life He promises. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

 

But beyond that, do our lives represent investments in eternity? Are the things we treasure most ones that are having eternal impact? As a friend of mine often used to say, “The only things that will last for eternity are the Word of God and people.” Therefore, relationships centered around the truth of God’s Word are the treasures we can store up.

 

Even this can look different from one person to another. For extroverts, this means a long line of friendships and acquaintances through which the light of Christ can shine. For introverts, however, interactions with people aren’t as easy. We tend to have a much smaller group of folks regarded as friends. But we can invest time, energy and even resources in those more deeply.

 

We live in a tangible, temporal world, but we live best when we never lose sight of the eternal home that awaits us. If that’s where our heart is, our treasure – the time, talents and resources God has graciously entrusted to us – is certain to follow.

 

In another setting, Jesus gave a simple description of what this might look like: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44). If what we treasure aligns with what God treasures, chances are we’ll be willing to give up all else if necessary to obtain it.

Our Attitude Toward Money Depends on Who We Think Owns It

Attitudes toward money can be curious. We all would like to have more of it. Many of us envy those with more than we have, especially the so-called “uber-rich.” Some people complain it’s unequally distributed, and something should be done about that. And yet, if someone asks about our money – how much we earn, how much we have saved, or what our net worth may be – they’ve trod on taboo territory.

 

We can talk about money so long as we don’t encroach on someone else’s financial turf. The green-eyed monster of jealousy for what others possess can suddenly turn into the green rage of, “My money is none of your business!” In church, whenever the pastor introduces the subject of money in a sermon, many of us reflexively reach for our wallets. “It’s mine!” we think defensively.

 

It seems to be a universal tendency, regardless of whether one is near the top of the economic strata or the bottom. A frequently cited story recounts a news reporter’s interview with a fabulously wealthy industrialist. At one point the reporter asks him, “How much is enough?” To which the rich man replies, holding his thumb and index finger slightly apart, “Just a little bit more.”

 

To be honest, I’ve been among those inclined to safeguard my wallet – figuratively if not literally. After all, I spent many long hours earning my money. Shouldn’t I be the one to decide how to use it?

 

I was convicted about this recently while writing an article about a highly successful and wealthy professional man who died a couple years ago. As I interviewed family members and friends about his legacy, I learned he was extremely generous with his time, talents, and yes, with his financial resources.

 

In fact, after the man’s passing, his daughter found a sheet of paper in his wallet. On it he had written two Bible passages he had carried for years. They highlighted what the Scriptures teach about money. Both were from the Old Testament, but seemed as fresh and relevant as the eggs Henrietta Hen laid today.

 

One of them was Deuteronomy 8:17-18, which says, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

 

The other was 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, as paraphrased in the Living Bible. The passage declares, “Yours is the mighty power and glory and victory and majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O Lord, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from You alone, and You are the Ruler of all mankind; Your hand controls power and might, and it is at Your discretion that men are made great and given strength.”

 

These verses concern more than our wallets and bank accounts, but they affirm a simple truth: God owns it all. Everything. One hundred percent. He just graciously allows us, as stewards, to manage resources He entrusts to us. 

 

This is why debates over the tithe in essence are moot. We often hear folks questioning whether the Old Testament teachings about the tithe apply to us since we’re living under grace, rather than law. Even if we concede the validity of tithing in principle, many of us then ask, “Do we have to literally tithe 10 percent?” And if so, “Do we tithe on our gross income – or the net?” Giving, no matter the amount or percentage, is essentially returning to God what He already owns.

 

I don’t have the spiritual gift of giving, which I believe means God continually giving some people unique opportunities to distribute His money. He shovels it in as fast as they can shovel it out. But over the years I’ve learned giving is about perspective.

 

Suppose some wealthy person comes to you and says, “I want you to manage some of my finances.” Whether you know anything about that or not is beside the point. What matters is what he or she says next: “Here’s the arrangement – all I expect is 10 percent back. You can keep the other 90 percent, every penny, to do with as you see fit.” Wow! Talk about a good deal!

 

To make this proposal more tangible, suppose the rich individual entrusted you with a million dollars and only required that you do your best to bring about a good return. He or she gets $100,000 plus whatever gains you can generate, and you get to keep the remaining $900,000 plus investment proceeds on that. If you know of anyone interested in making that kind of deal, tell them I’m available.

 

The good news is this: We already can know someone like that. His name is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. I’m not talking about the so-called “health and wealth gospel.” Nowhere does the Bible say, “God wants you to be rich.” At least not in a material sense. But Jesus did affirm, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). If we demonstrate faithfulness and diligence in using what God entrusts to us, don’t be surprised if He entrusts us with more.

 

In fact, this is the message in the last book of the Old Testament. God offers the promise, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this…and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10).

 

In the four Gospels, Jesus spoke as much – or more – about money and material possessions than any other topic. He explained why: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). As we see so often in the Scriptures, God is as much concerned with our motives as He is with our outward actions.

So, whether we tithe or not, gross or net, that’s a matter solely between us and the Lord. But recognizing that all our material resources, whether much or little, truly belong to Him – and that we’re only stewards of what He’s given to us – will revolutionize our attitudes toward money. 

How Much is Really Enough?

Financial advisors spend much of their time dealing with people who don’t have enough. Maybe they haven’t handled their finances wisely, amassing large amounts of debt. It might be because they’re not earning enough to support themselves and their families. Or it could be attributed to a variety of other reasons, including major, unexpected expenses, such as severe illnesses, or high repair/replacement costs for cars or “big ticket” items like air conditioners, furnaces, and roofs.

It’s tough when you really don’t have enough.

How should we respond when we're
being told too much is never enough?

However, some people have a very different question to answer: How much is enough? That’s something many of us never ask ourselves. Or, if we do, the response is typically the same. Years ago, one of the world’s richest men was reported to have been asked, “How much is enough?” To which he replied, “Just a little bit more.”

That sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? How could a person with great wealth be dissatisfied with what he or she already has? When that “little bit” is achieved, the target somehow moves just a tad farther out. Makes no sense, right? But we’ve all done it.

We don’t need fabulous wealth to wrestle with this “little bit more” issue. The boss gives us a raise at work, yet within weeks the additional compensation begins to seem inadequate, especially if we learn a coworker also got a pay increase and is earning more than we are. In setting career goals, we reason if we could just arrive at a certain level of income, that would make us happy. But once we get there, it appears we’ve set the bar too low.

And it’s not just about paychecks and bank accounts. We can have a closet full of clothes, yet strolling through a retail store, we can’t help thinking a new dress, shirt, or pair of shoes would really be a nice addition to the wardrobe. That 50-inch high-definition TV we already have is okay, but having a 65-inch model would even be better. We’re feeling satisfied with our five-year old car – until a neighbor drives up with a new one right off the showroom floor, loaded with accessories we didn’t even know were available.

We’ve just finished observing another Thanksgiving Day. For many of us, as we salivated over the array of food set before us, “just a little bit more” was the all-day answer to our “how much is enough” question. Long after we’d appeased our hunger, we were still treating our taste buds.

This is a “normal” human weakness it seems, which might be why God decided the last of His 10 commandments should be “You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17). Coveting what others have never leads to uplifting thinking. It may motivate us to work harder so we can have it too, but once we’ve attained “it,” it never seems to be enough. And this puts us at odds with others, the old “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality.

Proverbs 27:20 warns, “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.” One translation of Proverbs 30:15 reads, “Greed has twins, each named ‘Give me!’" What the Bible calls “the flesh” – our sinful nature – doesn’t understand what having enough means. It always wants more. 

The solution to this is making a conscious decision about what will be sufficient, what’s “enough,” even when opportunities emerge for us to acquire more. The apostle Paul, who experienced his share of both prosperity and deprivation during his lifetime, stated, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12).

Out of that “classroom,” Paul reached an important conclusion: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Perhaps this is an important principle we all need to keep foremost in our minds, especially since the Christmas season is officially upon us. Over the next several weeks we’ll be bombarded with messages telling us about all the stuff we “deserve” and “need.” Have we learned the secret of being content? Can we distinguish genuine needs from wants? Are we willing to make a determination about how much is really enough?

The REAL American Idol

Do you miss “American Idol”? TV’s classic reality-talent show came to a relatively quiet ending earlier this year, culminating 15 years of good, bad, and occasionally ugly singing by eager and ambitious young men and women. From the show some real stars were born, and it inspired a horde of similar programs, such as “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent.”

But from the start, they got it wrong. Because the real American idol is still very much with us. It just doesn’t sing. It’s adorned by images of Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson (for now – soon to be replaced by Harriet Tubman), Grant, Franklin, and others. Yes, it’s Money.

It’s ironic that our currency and coins bear the motto, “In God We Trust,” because judging by our materialistic, consumerism-driven society, if there’s anything we really trust in, it’s not almighty God but the “almighty dollar.”

A couple weeks ago we commemorated the 15^th anniversary of what we all now identify as “9/11,” when terrorist-commandeered commercial airliners targeted the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, turning them into infernos. Perhaps you recall the days after the horrific events, when then-President George W. Bush sought to restore calm, promising “we will rebuild,” and that the entities responsible would be punished severely.

Do we carry our "god" in our wallets?

Toward the end of his speech, Bush offered a subtle reminder: “We cannot let the terrorists achieve the objective of frightening our nation to the point where we don’t conduct business, where people don’t shop….” He also urged Americans to continue traveling without fear, taking family vacations, and maintaining their spending practices.

Without question, the President was seeking to offer reassurance that life as we knew it wasn’t coming to an end. But he also was acknowledging the wheels of the USA are greased by free spending; to cease doing so would have lasting, disastrous effects on the economy. Fifteen years later, nothing’s changed.

I’ve been participating in a series called “Gods at War,” examining false gods or “idols” that compete with the true God for allegiance. Money – or wealth – is one of those “gods.” Thinking about idols, we envision people worshiping icons or statues in various forms and sizes. But idolatry requires no religious context. To venerate money, we need only go to a bank, an ATM, a card-swiping machine at a retail checkout counter, or even a computer where we enter credit card numbers to buy what we need – or think we need.

Author Kyle Idleman states money becomes an idol when it shifts our focus from God. Or when we assess our value based on our valuables. Money – or the things it can provide – takes on god-like proportions when it becomes one’s purpose for living, as has been the case for many men and women. You might know some of them.

Materialism and greed aren’t unique to the United States. Even in primitive societies, the person with the straw-topped hut will envy someone with a tin roof. But in America, where most of our poor would still be regarded as affluent in many Third World lands, money has dominating influence.

Part of the problem is our inability to answer the question, “How much is enough?” Because most of us, if we’re honest, would respond, “I don’t know, but I’m sure I don’t have it yet.”

We can blame the media, advertising, or our “I’ve got to have it, and I’ve got to have it now!” culture. But ultimately we must confess that too often we’ve let money and its offspring command the throne of our hearts.

So what’s the solution? Maybe we simply need to get back to basics. When Jesus declared, “You cannot serve both God and money (mammon)” (Matthew 6:24), He wasn’t speaking idealistically or euphemistically. He was saying we should recalibrate our priorities. Who or what are we going to serve? Which gets our worship and adoration?

The gospel of Mark tells of a rich young man who approached Jesus asking, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). He told Jesus he had faithfully observed the commandments throughout his life – at least he thought he had. Jesus responded with what we might call “tough love.” He said, “Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21).

If you’d been in that situation, how would you have responded? It’s easy to declare, “My money and my stuff have no hold on me.” But if someone insisted we demonstrate our loyalty – God or possessions – which would we choose? God, the Creator of the universe, or money, the designer of our particular “universe”?

In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus was straight-forward: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Do we worship gods that moths and vermin and thieves can take from us? Or do we worship and obey the God who provides treasures this world can’t touch or snatch from us?

Finding the No-Complaint Department

A guy in my morning exercise class, whenever he’s asked, “How are you?” often responds, “Can’t complain. No one wants to hear it anyway.” He’s right, of course. We don’t want to hear other people’s complaints. We have enough of our own.

Take the weather, for example: Too hot. Too cold. Too wet. Too dry. Or the government: Too big, too involved, or too controlling. Except when we want highway potholes fixed, relief following disasters, or various services provided when we need them. Then we can’t get enough government.

We complain when our favorite teams and players under-perform. We complain when spouses, family members and friends fail to meet our expectations. We complain when we go shopping: Unable to find a sales associate when we need one. Or feeling harassed when a sales associate hovers nearby. (Admittedly a rare occurrence these days.)

We complain about aches and pains, major and minor. Especially as we get older. It’s almost a contest: “Any complaint you can make, I can make better!”

Even at church we complain: The music’s too fast, too slow, too loud, too contemporary, too old. The sermon wasn’t entertaining enough. Not enough multi-media to hold our attention. The service ran too long, disrupting our mealtime plans. And when we do go out to dinner, we complain about the food and the service.

So it surprised me recently when I spotted a sign in an antique store that read:

“Too blessed to complain.”

Even at its best, this life leaves us discontented,
feeling like there should be more.

When was the last time you felt that way? Have you ever felt that way? In our society, discontent is viewed as a virtue. Marketing people make it their solemn duty to keep us dissatisfied with what we have and where we go. According to them, nothing can be worse than status quo. So it seems unnatural to feel “too blessed to complain,” doesn’t it?

To the contrary, the motto of our materialistic world is, “too much is never enough.” No matter how much we’ve got, we can always complain about wanting or needing more.

This is one reason I’ve marveled at the apostle Paul’s declaration: “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 3:11-12).

This is a striking statement, particularly when you consider where he was writing from – prison. No “woe is me”; no “life isn’t fair”; no “why me and not so-and so?” How could Paul avoid grumbling and complaining in confinement? How could he claim to be “content” in jail?

The secret, I believe, was his perspective. Paul remembered what life was like before encountering Jesus Christ, and knew his life with Christ was far better. Even though “before” he had been somewhat of a religious celebrity, and “after” he was treated as a pariah by the religious establishment. Paul recalled during his self-righteous, zealous persecution of those that followed Jesus, his victims demonstrated an inner peace he’d never known – until he, too, met Jesus.

Paul understood by refusing to complain, followers of Christ set themselves apart from people around them. That’s why he wrote, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation” (Philippians 2:14-15).

And Paul knew that no matter how bad his life on earth got, another life – a far better life beyond comprehension or imagination – awaited him. So, most likely the apostle often thought, even if he might not have used the exact words, he was “too blessed to complain.”

I’d like to be able to say that – and mean it. How about you?