Money is The Root of All Evil: True or False?

I hear that all the time. Is that true? What does the Bible say? Did Jesus ever talk about about money, and if so what did he say? 

As a Christian I look to the word of God to get answers to questions like these. 

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this verse misquoted all the time as saying money is the root of all evil. I have! But it’s just not true.

It’s the love of money that gets us in trouble. Our attitude toward money is the problem, not the money itself.  Money is morally neutral.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Jesus makes it clear that you will either love money or God, but not both. So does that mean that it is wrong to be wealthy? 

Look at Job, he was probably one of the richest men to live, and the Bible is clear that he was a godly man. Even when he lost everything, God replaced it twofold! God clearly does not equate money to evil.

In fact, God’s not only okay with us being financially successful, but He wants us to be:

“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, NKJV).

Do you see it? It’s “appropriate” to enjoy the gifts God has provided—including “wealth and possessions.” And God is the One who actually gives us the ability to enjoy them.

“The blessings of the Lord maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.” Proverbs 10:22

He wants us to enjoy the fruits of our labor, but only if we’ve managed our blessings in a way that brings glory to Him. And we should never let our stuff or our pursuit of success become idols. God has to remain first in our lives.

We need to love the Giver more than the gifts.