If “money talks,” then money most certainly lies.
Jesus, who never had much money and never depended on having any, warned in the parable of the sower that “the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can’t produce anything” (Matthew 13:22 GW).
Can money really be deceptive? Is it morally neutral?
The truth is, the origin of money’s deception is actually within us—the broken, sinful side of us that refuses to be satisfied. When we listen to the wrong voice on the inside of ourselves about money, there are two false promises money seems to make.
First, money promises us significance.
It says, “If you can just get enough of me, you’ll mean something and your life will matter in this world.” Whether we long for pleasure, power or prestige, money promises it all … if we can just get enough of it. And enough is just never enough for human beings.
Second, money promises us security.
We believe that if we can just set enough aside, put enough in savings or get out of debt, then we’ll be safe. The Bible certainly encourages the wisdom of saving and being debt-free, but the fact is, money is never safe. The economy can change on a whim, and our money can’t possibly last beyond the grave with us.
These two promises are based on two of the most prominent and legitimate needs human beings have, but God has always intended that we find our significance and our security in our relationship with Him.
We matter because God declared our worth in His eyes with the cross on which His Son died as our ransom. And our eternity is secure as well as the inheritance He lays aside for us because of His protective, keeping power.
