lovers of money, 2 Timothy 3:2b

While watching a movie with Tom Cruise in it, my wife commented, “He’s got everything, but he’s got nothing.” Cruise has everything the world desires: looks, fame, fortune but he doesn’t have Christ.

He’s certainly not unique in the entertainment industry. But let’s look closer to home. Rich and poor alike can be lovers of money. Greed is greed no matter how much money you make each week.

Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary, on The Shark Tank epitomizes the love of money (though I suspect some of it is an act). He constantly wants to make more money even though he is tremendously wealthy. And of course, when asked how much money is enough, billionaire J. Paul Getty responded, “A little more.”

Money is insidious and deceiving. In an of itself it’s not evil. We have to make money to live. Of course we live in the most prosperous time in the world there has ever been. The push to make more and spend “a little more” is everywhere.

The antidote of loving money is to be content with what we have. We have to be on our guard constantly against motivations that are not godly or helpful.

One final illustration brings home this point. Recently I was sitting around talking with friends. One man, a fairly wealthy doctor, was commenting about someone he had heard who was employee #46 at Microsoft back in the 1980s. This employee was a millionaire many times over. Jim’s comment about the employee, “Boy, I would like to have that guy’s investments so early in Microsoft’s history.” Someone sitting across the table kindly noted, “Jim, you’ve done quite well for yourself, haven’t you?” Jim nodded and slunk back in his chair. Jim, too, wanted a little more despite being semi-retired and owning three very nice homes outright.