The Value of Money
Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, authors of Freakanomics and Super Freakanomics, wrote that “People respond to incentives.” They validated their point in their two bestselling books, by citing how this truth applied to schoolteachers, realtors, crack dealers, mothers, sumo wrestlers, salesmen and even members of the Ku Klux Klan.
People love incentives. Incentives, according to the authors, are not necessarily monetary. In fact, some incentives can come from the most unpredictable of sources. But despite all this, money remains to be one of the most powerful incentives there is. Even Levitt and Dubner admitted that the writing of their first book took root “when several publishers began to offer significant sums of money.”
The Answer to Everything
It was King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, who penned the words in Ecclesiastes 10: 19, “Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens, and money answers everything.” Yup, you read that right—Solomon wrote that money answers everything. Another version of the Bible says, “Money is the answer to everything.”
Before moving forward, there is a principle that one needs to know when reading the Bible. It goes something like this: Never reason from the part to the whole, rather, always reason from the whole to the part. We cannot lift one verse from Scripture and base our beliefs solely on that verse without taking into account the other verses that say the contrary.
Applying this, Solomon did say that money answers everything. But this truth is partial, and needs to be read vis-à-vis the entirety of the Bible’s take on money. Money is indeed valuable. It is the most universally accepted means for exchanging goods and services. Hence, Solomon was correct in pointing this out. Money is the answer to everything; just as bread brings laughter and wine, merriment. But in all of these cases, the sense of fulfillment is only temporary.
God and Money
Going back to Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
It is noteworthy to point out that Jesus never attributed anything to have powers coming close to God’s. He only references money as a competitor, and rightfully so, for money is indeed powerful. Think about politicians and leaders who have compromised their values because of money. Think about why women prostitute themselves or why people forego their valued principles because of the lure of money.
Here’s a good question to ask yourself when you are not sure if money has become more valuable to you than God:
If you had more money right now, would you be
happier,
more secure,
and more fulfilled?
Before you answer too quickly, consider the question well. Another way of asking the question is:
Do you think you would have less problems today if you had more money?
It’s a tough question to answer; but with a little honesty, you can find out if you are trusting money more than God.
Three Truths About Money
1. Money is a neutral.
“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.” 1 Timothy 6: 10
Money, contrary to popular belief, is not inherently evil. It is a tool that allows us to exchange goods and services. The love of money, however, is the root of all kinds of evil. How?
2. Money is powerful. Money affords more than just goods and services—money begets power. No wonder people fall in love with it so easily! And while falling in love is just the start, the “all kinds of evil” bit comes into play when we become “eager for money.” The word eager in Greek means to covet or unlawfully desire. When we have made money the primary driving force of our lives, we have, in that sense, made it our God.
3. Money has the capacity to divert our destiny. The result is that we wander from the faith and carry with us many griefs. Through the years, I have seen individuals and families suffer and grieve because they have made money the primary reason for living.
To be clear Jesus never said that money is not valuable, His point was it is not as valuable as God. In fact He makes a final point further down in Matthew 6:33, that if we seek God first He will add all the other values to us including money to us.
The effect is the opposite for those who love God most: all kinds of evil will fall to our sides, we stay on course in achieving God’s destiny for us, and there we will find God’s blessing, favor, joy.
See you next week.
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