Lend, and Not Borrow

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. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Contrary to popular belief, Paul never wrote that money is the root of evil. He wrote that the love of money is. That distinction matters because money is simply a tool, neither good nor evil on its own. But when the desire for it takes the place of trust in God was meant to occupy, Paul said it produces two specific results. First, it pulls you away from faith in God; second, it causes self-inflicted sorrow. People who chase money as their source, rather than receiving it as a byproduct of walking with God, wound themselves in the process.

Jesus made a similar point in the parable of the sower. He named the deceitfulness of riches as one of the ways the Word gets choked out in a person's life before it can produce fruit. When we allow money to lie to us and do whatever it takes to get rich, it exerts such a deceptive pull that it crowds out the very Word that was supposed to take root and grow.

Scripture also gives a clear picture of the position God wants His people to walk in financially. He told the children of Israel that walking in obedience would put them in the position of lending rather than borrowing. That is a position of strength and stewardship, not a promise that everything will fall into your lap and be easy. It describes someone with enough margin to be a source for others, rather than someone stretched thin by debt to others. Faith follows what God's Word actually says about money, not what the senses report about scarcity or urgency in the moment.

Practical Application

Take an honest look at your mindset and relationship with money. Do you see it as a tool in your hands, or has it quietly become what you're really trusting instead of God? Pick one real step today toward financial freedom. Maybe that's tackling a debt. Maybe it's just being honest with yourself about where your security truly comes from.

Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 6:24