For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:10
Money tests our hearts, our motives, and our character. What we do with it will prove to God whether He can entrust us with the “true riches of heaven” spoken of in Luke 16:11. The spirit of covetousness ruled the Pharisees. The Lord warned them that they could not “serve both God and money” (v. 13), but verse 14 says they “dearly loved their money,” ignoring the Lord’s stern admonition to them.
The principle of covetousness is immortalized in the story of Achan in the Old Testament. God gave explicit instructions to Joshua that no one was to touch anything of value in Jericho. The entire city was God’s, dedicated to Him as the holy firstfruits of the Canaan conquest. Achan’s hand, however, could not resist grasping a bar of gold, coins of silver, and a beautiful Babylonian coat. His sin followed a familiar pattern: “I saw . . . I wanted . . . I took them . . . They are hidden” (Joshua 7:21).
Our eyes can look enviously on things that do not belong to us, and covetousness can lead us to “take” and “hide” that which is not ours. How much better to follow the wisdom of Luke 16:9: “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.”
Use worldly wealth; don’t let it use you!
