Purpose of Finance 1 Tim 6:10

The Purpose for finance

A misunderstanding of what money is and what it does, is one of the primary reasons why the kingdom of God has not advanced in a faster pace, why people have not enjoyed a much better material living, but even more, this lack of understanding has kept the children of God to be off a position of influence.

Material and enjoyable things are good!

Many Christians has read 1 Tim 6:10 without having a clear context of what it is saying. Who Paul is speaking to? and what is he trying to address? The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. This is exactly correct. However how we define “Money” is, is what is causing all the different doctrine. For most “the love of money” is talking about what money can do for them. This however is too broad a definition, as you can see in the following example, the love of “money” can be of very different motivation. And as such Paul cannot be addressing the love of “money” in the generality of the word. And hence is addressing a very particular view of money.

Take for instance, The Red Cross wants money so they can help people in need, where as ISIS wants the same money so they can push a particular religious agenda. Both group in essence love money. However Red Cross will fit into a biblical idea that is described in the below verse.

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17

  If we do not differentiate what meaning Paul is addressing in terms of “money”, you will misread the true intention of the verse and what Paul is addressing, if you think of the love of money in a general sense. You will attempt to hate “money” for the wrong reasons, and reject finances for what it was created to do. Money is just a standardized medium of exchange. How and what “money” is representing to people is what Paul is addressing with 1 Tim 6:10.

If you think Paul is addressing “money” as the exchanges of pleasures in this life, and he is telling us don’t love the pleasures of this life. I am going to say something profound and may shock you. Ready? This is not what Paul is addressing. Good material things in and of itself is actually NOT wrong or bad, and a life of piety is not what Paul is asking people to seek after. I would even suggest that we should be thankful and be able to use money for the good material things in life. You may ask, where is the scriptural basis for this!?

Jesus came to give us life, and life abundantly. John 10:10.

Think of this earthly example to get a bearing. If your kid wants a bike, and he comes to you, and say, “Dad, I really like to have a bike, so I can ride to school rather than walk.” You as the good father if you have the means to do it, you would buy him a decent bike, in fact, you would buy him a safe, good looking bike, probably the best one out there, and one that your son likes. Or would you buy him a rusted old falling apart bike, or maybe not give him one at all? (provided that it is save for him to ride in, yes there maybe reasons not to, but I am just trying to bring out a point). With all things being equal, you would buy him the good one, 1, because it will make him happy, 2 it will make him look good, and it will make you look good. Now read the following verse.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Mat 7:11

You may say, I don’t know if our enjoyment of the things on earth is high on God’s priority. Then you have not had a true vision of God the good father, but understood him to be God the God father. God wants us to be joyful, if material things gives you joy, ask and receive so your joy can be complete.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.John 16:24.

Money can satisfy needs

Money apart from representing things you want, it represents the basic things you needs, food, shelter, to desire to have money to satisfy these needs and want is certainly not wrong, and is not what Paul is addressing either. Truly, take time to think about this, If someone is loving money so that he can be a provider for his family. Is Paul saying this is a root of all evil?

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Tim 5:8. 

For one to provide, one must have the means to do it. And money serves this purpose.  

 
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. Gal 2:10

But what about James?

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3

Now we are getting to the heart of the issue. And it is not what you think. The focal point of this verse, is not talking about how you want money for things you like. Its about the “motive” to get things. Are you “lusting” for the material things? The word “pleasure” translated here in the greek is “hedone” which is a lustful desire. It is saying you want the thing so bad that you will do wrong to get it, it is an evil desire that consumes the person and not a godly one. And hence you do not receive.

When Money becomes your God, then it leads to all kinds of evil.

So if Paul is not saying you shouldn’t love money for the needs it can fulfil, the wants that it provides. Then what is he talking about? The key notion that the verse is addressing, is not that the love of the things in this world, but that those who wants to get rich, is seeking richness as the end game and goal. It is the idea that “finance” or the “material things” in and of itself will satisfy the desire of your heart, and be able to REPLACE the need of the relationship with God, which only God can satisfy. You are chasing to satisfy a need that by design could not be satisfied with material things, hence the 1 Tim 6:10 says, “Pieced themselves through with many sorrows.” And if you are loving money, to replace the need of God this is where it is a root of all evil.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”[a] Hebrews 13:5

Money on the surface has some of the properties which looks similar to God, it is a source for needs, It provides some security, it provides power. But whilst on appearance it has similarities to God, where the rubber meets the road, we can clearly see the limitations and facade that it is. Zig Ziglar summarizes this profoundly;  

“You can buy a bed, but not a good night’s sleep, a house but not a home, a companion but not a friend.”  Zig Ziglar

When Jesus said we cannot serve both God and Mammon, It is addressing exactly this, People are seeing Mammon as something that can replace God. So Money or Finance is not evil, it is not an idol unless you worship it as one.

“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. Mat 6:24

So what is money?

Money is just a tool. It is an efficient and effective way to move, transfer and motivate resources. It’s a tool that helps you complete a purpose. It is similar to work, you don’t work for the sake of working, you work because you want to get a particular thing done. God worked in the first 6 days, not because work in itself is good or bad, work is just necessary to complete a purpose, and because of the purpose work has meaning and as the purpose is good, hence work is good.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen 1:26 

Man was created in the image of God. God is a ruler, He is the king of kings. And we were created in his image to be kings. Man’s purpose is to subdue and take dominion over the earth, so work and finances is to help us fulfil this purpose. If you seat at home and are not doing anything to subdue and dominate, providing order and managing and expanding the reign of God.  You are not actively participating in your grand design and purpose. You are not reflecting the image of God who is about Godly, Goodly dominion and expansion of his kingdom.

 

So why Money?

Because this is an economic world. The bible speaks much about finances, look at Leviticus, It uses things calculated with money, or physical things that are wealth based (cows, doves, harvests) It never condemns it. Abram was very rich, and it was not speaking about him rich spiritually. Its talking about he had the money!

Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. Gen 13:2

Now if we understand that “Money”, like “Work” has its place in life, and should not be shied from, it is there to fulfil a purpose. Then you understand that money fuels purpose, and as such should be embrace. And as the saying goes if you “should”, then you “MUST”!

I hope the above material gives you a different perspective on 1 Tim 6:10. If you say, I don’t have a problem with money, I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it, for a lack of a better word I am “indifferent” to it. I don’t focus on money, I focus on God!

If that is you. Then I have a very challenging thought for you to think about to see if it is true.

“For the godly desire of money is the root for all kind of goodness, some people proficient in using money have found the purpose of their faith and blessed themselves with many joy”

Purpose of money

The purpose of money is described very clearly in Deut 8:17-18,

17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. Deut 8:17-18.

and Confirming his covenant, is in the context of Gen 1:26 for the domination of the earth, and the abrahamic covenant in, of the messiah coming through the linerage of Abraham. Gen 17. And the fulfilment of God’s redemption through Salvation, which is prosperity in your spirit, soul and body, (eternal, material, health)

Money is to “confirm” God’s covenant,  the Hebrew word for confirm “qum” is talking about an active stand, to accomplish, to build, to ensure, to carried out.

IF you understand that the purpose of money is a tool to use to expand the reign of God, and God has assigned and given you the power to make wealth, and if you understand this mandate, Your love (desire) for money is for this reason, Do not let your religious thought hinder you in doing the works of God.

IF you are feeling guilty because you are wealthy, and hence has the ability to enjoy the better things in life. Ask God for a revelation of who God is, as the king, and you are his child, and what the life of a prince should look like, so that he can reflect who the king is.

IF you are reading the above line, and you think it still doesn’t seat right with you. I would suggest that the root of it lies in some misunderstanding of 1 Tim 6:10. And Mat 6:24. Study it, ask the question. Is Paul condemning the love of money to serve others? Is he condemning experiencing riches that God has provided?

The sooner we started loving money as what it’s designed for we can become effective in what we are designed to do.  (challenging line isn’t it, “loving money”) Love money as the tool that it is, love it like an artist his brush, love it like a builder loving his power screw driver, a writer loving his type writer, a cook loving his stove and oven. The sooner we can see money is a tool that is necessary to effectively complete destiny. The sooner we can see the kingdom of God advancing and taking territory where the devil has stolen ground.