This verse in my devotions this morning stuck with me:  “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10 NRSV)

I remember it being pointed out that the verse does not say money is the root of all evil.  It’s the love of money which is the problem.  I also remember my pastor saying several months ago that greed sneaks into our lives.  We can never say we didn’t know we were committing adultery with another person (oh, I didn’t know this isn’t my spouse).  We know when we commit adultery, when we steal and when we have hatred in our hearts.  Greed, on the other hand, can take up residence in our hearts and we may not realize it.

This verse is scary because it states that in the pursuit of personal wealth Christians  have actually strayed away from that which is more valuable and longer lasting than any amount of money or any purchase.   It seems unimaginable, but this is the seductive power of riches.  It seems like wealth can provide us with a happier and a longer life.   Yet many wealthy men and women seem anything but happy.

The missionary to the Aucas Indians Jim Elliott once wrote his future wife “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”  This may be a paraphrase of that haunting question Jesus asked after his parable about the rich man who died while planning an expansion “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? (Mark 8:36 English Standard Version)

It might be of lasting importance for us to stop and ask  “is making money my top priority at this moment?”