There are always two sides to every argument.
If you are a Christian, such as myself, you have probably heard the saying “Money is the root of all evil?” This is a saying, not a verse.
Now, many have adopted these beliefs around money and either believe that money is the root of all evil, or that money is that cause of all good.
But what if I were to tell you that the myth we often tend to believe is completely false? What if I were to tell you that both sides of this argument are wrong?
The Rich Vs. The Poor
The prosperity side to this argument would most likely try to justify their beliefs by saying something along the lines of “if you are poor, then you can’t do good for others,” or “If you are poor, you don’t have enough faith to have a prosperous life.”
Do you actually believe this?
Growing up in a middle-class town, I have seen it both ways. I have seen very wealthy individuals with tremendous amounts of faith. I have also seen individuals who are struggling with tremendous amounts of faith. In some cases, it is poor individuals who have more faith and a more pure faith than those who are wealthy.
On the contrary, you would have the argument from poor individuals saying that money is the root of all evil.
Now, maybe this is used as an excuse for one to feel better about themselves, but a lot of the times, this argument comes from individuals who aren’t believers in the first place. If one was a true believer, they would see the good in all people, the good in every act of kindness and giving, and would see that it came from God through an individual who is carrying God’s wealth and God’s love.
Debunking Money Is The Root Of All Evil
First and foremost, let’s at least know what The Bible says before we try to state our argument. Nowhere in The Bible does it say that “money is the root of all evil.” The Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:10
What does this mean? It means that the root of all evil is caused by one’s love for money. It means that hoarding your money and doing zero good with your money is evil. It means that acting with violence just as a means to obtain more money is evil.
Money, and having money, simply doesn’t make one bad. How one chooses to spend their money (or lack of spending) is what makes them either good or bad.
You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have
Think about this for a moment. The Bible says, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35
Now, I don’t know about you, but I would personally find it incredibly difficult to be able to give back to others if I couldn’t first provide for myself.
If you were starving, would you pass up on a meal and give it to someone else? If so, that’s very noble of you, but think of how many more lives you could positively impact if you had more than enough to give.
Are there wealthy individuals who don’t give? Absolutely! In making over $38,000 per year, I am in the top 1% in the world when it comes to having wealth. I will be the first to admit that I don’t give enough. This is just as bad as not having anything to give. But I am also in a position where I can give and can help to make a difference. That is the difference.
It Is HIS Money
Regardless of whether you are rich or poor, it’s important to remember that it is not our money in the first place. We are servants of God and the money that He allows us to receive is His to do right with.
God doesn’t simply bless us just so that we can say we are rich and wealthy, or that He loves us more than others. God blesses us for a magnitude of reasons. For starters, He blesses us because (1) because He loves us, and (2) so we can be a blessing to others.
God is our Almighty Father. If you are a parent, you would do anything for your children. All you want to do is to be able to provide for your kids and give them the best life possible. God’s love is stronger than the love of any father or a mother, so imagine how much He wants to provide for us.
The Lord blesses us and loves us unconditionally so that we can love and be a blessing to others. He instructs us and gives to us so that we can instruct and give to others. He comforts us and guides us in the path of righteousness so that we can comfort others and lead others towards His word.
Blessings flow from God to us, but they should never stop with us, they should flow through us.
Last point that I want to make before letting you ponder over all of this; if you believe money is evil and those who possess large sums of money are evil, by definition, you would be surrendering the resources of the world to those who are not spiritual. If one is not spiritual, do you really think they are going to share the Word of God?
Before You Go
Nothing in and of itself is evil. Money is not evil. Sex is not evil. People are not evil. All of these are blessings from God.
It’s our actions and how we abuse the blessings we are given that can potentially be evil, not the other way around.
Michael Bonnell
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