Serving money

[KingsGambit]

We all know the verse - you cannot serve both God and money. To you, what does "serving money" look like in practical terms?

[mikewhitney]

Paul, in Romans 12, showed that service to God consisted of (or was demonstrated through) service to one another.

In such a framework, any action to gain money from people with deceptive assertion that you are helping them -- such behavior would be serving money instead of God.

Anyone driven to make money as their goal in life while considering God only as a way to make money -- that would be an example.

There are less blatant examples that should also qualify under this slavery to money.

[Cow Poke]

We all know the verse - you cannot serve both God and money. To you, what does "serving money" look like in practical terms?

The key, I think, is in the fact that the love of money is the root of all evil. That, of course, often gets misquoted leaving out the "the love of". If our primary goal is to get rich, especially at the cost of our main mission, we have made a very bad choice.

1 Timothy 6:10 King James Version (KJV) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Do the VERSE tags work?

Scripture Verse: 1 Timothy 6:10 King James Version (KJV)

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

© Copyright Original Source

WOW!!!!

[Cow Poke]

Interesting the way the ESV renders that...

Scripture Verse: 1 Timothy 6:10 English Standard Version (ESV)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

© Copyright Original Source

[lee_merrill]

"The love of money" is indeed a good way to describe serving money. I would mention also the desire to be rich:

"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:9)

Blessings,
Lee

[Cow Poke]

"The love of money" is indeed a good way to describe serving money. I would mention also the desire to be rich:

"But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:9)

Blessings,
Lee

And I don't think there's anything wrong with being rich. Jesus had rich friends. It's when that "being rich" is our goal (or our god) rather than an outcome of the Blessings of God for our faithfulness to Him.

[KingsGambit]

I was hoping to focus on what Jesus said rather than Paul, but even just going by Jesus' words only, we certainly couldn't conclude that money is inherently a bad thing as he did command us to use worldly wealth to gain friends for ourselves (as opposed to doing the equivalent of building bigger barns for ourselves).

Having said that... I once read a writer who pointed out that the haste with which we point out "it's the love of money, not money itself" that's the root of all evil suggests that we may need to take more heed than we think.

[Cow Poke]

I was hoping to focus on what Jesus said rather than Paul, but even just going by Jesus' words only, we certainly couldn't conclude that money is inherently a bad thing as he did command us to use worldly wealth to gain friends for ourselves (as opposed to doing the equivalent of building bigger barns for ourselves).

Are the parts of the Bible containing the words of Paul any less inspired than the parts containing the words of Christ?

Having said that... I once read a writer who pointed out that the haste with which we point out "it's the love of money, not money itself" that's the root of all evil suggests that we may need to take more heed than we think.

I think it's a wee tad disingenuous to assume it's "with haste" that Paul's words to Timothy are cited.... it's a rather obvious reference directly to the subject. Especially since, in my case, my citation of the scripture included the commentary - "...If our primary goal is to get rich, especially at the cost of our main mission, we have made a very bad choice."

[KingsGambit]

Are the parts of the Bible containing the words of Paul any less inspired than the parts containing the words of Christ?

No, of course not; I just wanted to focus on the exegesis of that specific verse.

I think it's a wee tad disingenuous to assume it's "with haste" that Paul's words to Timothy are cited.... it's a rather obvious reference directly to the subject.

This wasn't aimed at you. The "with haste" was a direct quote from the book I had (but don't have anymore) who thought that Christians in general were too dismissive of the idea that they might in fact be lovers of money. Unfortunately, that's about the only part of the quote I actually remember; but it's just something that's stuck with me for whatever reason.

[Cow Poke]

No, of course not; I just wanted to focus on the exegesis of that specific verse.

This wasn't aimed at you. The "with haste" was a direct quote from the book I had (but don't have anymore) who thought that Christians in general were too dismissive of the idea that they might in fact be lovers of money.

I have often said, "show me your checkbook and your calendar, and I'll tell you where your priorities lie".

Unfortunately, that's about the only part of the quote I actually remember; but it's just something that's stuck with me for whatever reason.

Well, to the extreme, we have the prosperity preachers...

[Sparko]

I don't even have a checkbook any more.

[Cow Poke]

I don't even have a checkbook any more.

I do - but almost never ever write a check. I haven't reordered new checks since... um.... 2006.

[Sparko]

I do - but almost never ever write a check. I haven't reordered new checks since... um.... 2006.

Yeah, I think I got some in 2009 when I changed addresses. I keep a couple in my wallet just in case, but never use them.

[Cow Poke]

Yeah, I think I got some in 2009 when I changed addresses. I keep a couple in my wallet just in case, but never use them.

The only time I've used them recently was when my oldest daughter, George, (who doesn't have a checking account) needed to pay rent, and her landlord would ONLY accept checks. She gave me the money, I deposited it in my account, and wrote the check to him in her name.

Yeah, I had to think, "OK... writing a check... I know I can do this...."

[One Bad Pig]

We all know the verse - you cannot serve both God and money. To you, what does "serving money" look like in practical terms?

In practical terms, "serving money" is being more concerned about making money and/or finances than with serving God. When there's a conflict between the two, which priority wins out?