We are made in the image of God, who is Love, which means we are designed to actively love; too often our love is misplaced.
Here’s how Jesus defined the right orientation of love when summing up the commandments:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Our first problem is we do not understand love. Our definition is small compared to how its defined in 1 Corinthians 13 and John 3:16. It is not about kindness and feelings, but a conscious choice to prioritize and pursue the other. We know we love something when it shapes our lives, when we are willing to change and sacrifice for it, and when we are committed for the long-journey. I love bagels and may sacrifice a little time and money to get them, but I wouldn’t upend my life for their sake; on the other hand, I have transformed my life and sacrificed much out of love for my children.
Our second problem is we aren’t honest about what we actually love. Throughout human history, people have had a robust love of money. We prioritize pursuing and protecting it; it shapes our lives, and we change and sacrifice out of a long-commitment to it. Many of us want to love God too, but where hard reality rings out is when our plans are shaped more out of financial fear or greed than by His voice. Jesus spoke to this too:
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.
Matthew 6:24
You cannot love both God and money; either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. This is a hard word, but Jesus knew he needed to say it, because he saw “love of money” around him in various forms:
- “I desire money”: Love of money can look like wanting more and more of it, leaning into the vice of greed.
- “I need money”: Love of money can be thinking you can’t live without it, leaning into the vice of fear.
- “I don’t have enough money”: Love of money can live in-between, where we compare our situations to others and are constantly frustrated, leaning into the vice of envy.
In all of these, we give money control over all our heart and all our soul and all our mind; we make it our master, and since we cannot serve two, we unintentionally disconnect from God. We come to believe that money will make everything better, that we can’t live without it, and that we must always pursue it to have purpose and identity.
Our true provision, protection, and purpose come from God, not money.
This is not a mere platitude, but the message of scripture, and the more we believe the deception of money, the less we believe the Truths of God.
I write this as I lament how the love of money has led some individuals to take advantage of a close friend. In his senior years his memory has declined, and people that pose as friends have allowed “love of money” to lead them to steal hundreds or even thousands from his benefits. The kicker is, these individuals identify as Christians, and desire to love God.
They desire to love God, but their love of money is greater, and since they cannot serve two masters, they neglect the true Master’s command to “love God and love others.” In the end, no matter how much they fill their pockets with my friend’s money, it will never satisfy, and my friend is left abused and in a dangerous space. My friend is far from alone in this experience.
Church, the enemy knows how easily we can be led astray by love of money; he knows the precise buttons of greed, envy, or fear to push to lead us to shift our devotion. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) We must remain alert to these money-based schemes.
Here is the good news: God has equipped us to stand:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:10-18a
