The Bible’s Money Warnings Are For Our Protection
Series: Having Faith-Led Finances
Devotional: 3 of 4
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such salvation?
Hebrews 2:1-3 (ESV)
Have you ever noticed the often scary warnings we are given throughout the Bible when it comes to money?
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25 NIV)
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 Timothy 6:10 NIV)
Arguably the most impactful time that Jesus gets upset is in a situation with money. He gets so angry that he flips tables! Can you imagine that!?
But why are we given so many warnings against money and why is it something that Jesus is so passionate about that he flips tables?
The scriptures record many warnings ultimately because God loves us! Many of us mistake warnings as judgements, but rather, a warning is an act of love. Have you stopped to consider the fact that, if all God intended to do was to judge and condemn us, why would he take the time to warn us first? Wouldn’t he just judge and condemn us?
God’s boundaries are for our protection. He gives us guidelines, his laws, as an act of love. They protect us from danger, and into a deeper dependency and relationship with Him. These “rules” do not rob us of our freedom or joy. God desires for you to live free of the bondage that the love of money keeps us in.
So the next time you read a warning about money, remember that God is trying to protect you from something. Stay alert, and ask God to reveal any underlying greed that may be hiding under the surface.
Your Friend,
Katie Jones
Reflection Questions
- Have you allowed your heart to become dull to the money warnings in the Bible?
- How has the Lord revealed himself to be good and faithful again and again to you?
- Are there any laws or boundaries set by the Lord that you feel are robbing you of freedom and joy? Look at the warnings of Scripture and in life. What bondage and sadness would eventually result if you were to indulge in these sins? (this question comes from a devotional by Paul David Tripp)
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