Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 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 6:9-10
“Constantly the Bible deals decisively with the inner spirit of slavery that an idolatrous attachment to wealth brings. “If riches increase, set not your heart on them,” counsels the psalmist (Ps. 62:10). The tenth commandment is against covetousness, the inner lust to have, which leads to stealing and oppression. The wise sage understood that “He who trusts in his riches will wither” (Prov. 11:28).
Jesus declared war on the materialism of His day. (And I would suggest that he declares war on the materialism of our day as well.) The Aramaic term for wealth is “mammon” and Jesus condemns it as a rival God: “No servant can serve two masters; for 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 God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).
He speaks frequently and unambiguously to economic issues. He says, “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” and “Woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:20, 24). He graphically depicts the difficulty of the wealthy entering the kingdom of God to be like a camel walking through the eye of a needle. With God, of course, all things are possible, but Jesus clearly understood the difficulty.
He saw the grip that wealth can have on a person. He knew that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” which is precisely why he commanded His followers: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19-21). He is not saying that the heart should or should not be where the treasure is. He is stating the plain fact that wherever you find the treasure, you will find the heart.”
Richard Foster (b. 1942) in Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1998) 82-83.
Riches retained by people cause a host of troubles and lead to disaster.
So why do we succumb to temptation? The world tells us we need money to live. What we need is God. But instead, we believe the lie, and it sends us down a bad path.
From there, we rationalize disobedience, ignore Jesus, store up treasure on earth, and pursue wealth though He frequently and unambiguously calls to live differently.
Today’s Scripture from Paul’s first letter to Timothy explains what happens.
Those who are eager for money and want to get rich literally fall into a trap that leads to ruin and destruction.
Generosity comes into view as not only the way to life but the way to avoid death.
For example, pass wealth to your kids and ruin them. Store it up in heaven and choose the way of the poor and teach them experientially to trust God
They see God is faithful so they choose the way to life. Do it for yourself. Do it for your children and grandchildren.
They will thank you in 20 years and in 20 million years.