A Root to All Evils

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim. 6:10 NIV)

The word translated “love of money” is philargyria in the original language and it literally means “the fondness of silver” and should be understood as “avarice” or “strong affection for money.” The first part of the word is “phila,” which means friendship. It is akin to the idea of “friendship with the world” that James said is “enmity with God” (James 4:4), or to make one an enemy of God.

But we would be untruthful if we said that money does not have some attraction to us all, yet it is a deceptive attraction. Money brings independence from others, less need to rely on others, or at least that is how it seems. But the one who has money still must rely on people, and loyal friends will always be more valuable than paid employees. And anyone who exchanges money for close and intimate friendships has made a poor choice.

To the degree that money enables us to provide for our selves and our family, to bless others, to offer shelter and protection, and to help us further the work of God, money can be a great blessing. Yet there is a trap attached to it, that it is easy for us to go too far in its pursuit. Many have neglected their family in the pursuit of wealth, as well as their health, their church, and their obligation to their fellowman. They have, “wandered from the faith” and thought that money alone could give them what they want in life, but their hearts remain empty.

They have “pierced themselves” and the word here, periepeiran, means to be pierced thoroughly, as a piece of meat is pierced with a spit and put upon a fire for roasting. The man who would have everything has actually let the world have his heart and has allowed the evil one to pierce him through and put him above the fires of greed for the slow roasting of his soul.

It is generally true that the more we own, the more what we own seems to own us. We fear to part with it, and our dependence upon and confidence in God can be replaced with our lust for money. Fear of financial loss pushes out faith in God. Pride of it pushes out compassion for others. The scripture does not say that it is the money that leads us into all evil, rather it is the love of it. There is no sin in being wealthy, yet there is always a danger that we can let it possess our hearts. We may forget about the faithfulness of God, the importance of gratitude, the power of prayer, the needs of others, and the life of faith. We may, in fact, imagine that we are better off because we have to trust God less for our material needs.

The Rich Young Ruler was such a character in the Bible who refused to follow Jesus because of his love for money. Christ saw his heart’s greatest need, and knew that the young man was entrapped spiritually because of his love of money. Christ commanded him to give it all to the poor and come follow Him (Matt. 19:21). Christ or the Apostles never commanded this to anyone else in precisely this way, that they should give away all that they possess in order to become a Christian. Yet in another sense He has commanded all of us who would follow Him to deny ourselves daily and take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). In that sense He has demanded of all His followers nothing less than total commitment.

It is an ironic fact that the wealthiest among Americans give a smaller percentage of their wealth to charities than those who are in the middle income bracket. Those with less give a higher percentage of their wealth than those with more. The end result is not just that needs go unmet, but also that hearts are pierced with many griefs. Worry, greed, fear, and pride, replace love, faith, compassion, and joy.

The joyful life is one that trusts in God’s bountiful care, that puts God’s work first in his personal economy and gives to support the work of Christ. He provides for his own, but also is grateful for what the Lord has given him, and shares generously with others. The result is love shared, joy increased, faith strengthened, and real friendships made.