Over the years, Our Heavenly Father has provided me with substantial training in money. HE literally started me out in banking. HE specifically directed me to a job at the largest bank in Oklahoma while I was still in college. Banking was not even in my sights at the time. This path gave me a first hand view of how people react with money. Generally, wealthy people try to define themselves by their wealth. Many project their wealth by external means- houses, cars, watches, clothes, and attitude. Very few handle wealth properly. John Kirkpatrick was a wealthy oilman and a director of our bank and perhaps the largest stockholder. I knew him but he didn’t know me. I once was on a flight from Dallas to Oklahoma City and by chance sat next to him… in coach class. He appeared to all as a normal “grandfatherly” type and unassuming. We carried on a casual conversation and I never let on that I knew of him. He did not wear his wealth for all to see. His fruit continues on to this day. Wealth did not define him. By all accounts, he used money properly.
I have also been around the greedy who can best be described by the term “avarice”. They would use people and relationships to achieve their goal of more money. They always had an ulterior motive in every action they took. I worked for a man like that. He would go through employees like water through a sieve. He was looking for employees that he could exploit and get the most out of them to achieve his goal of more money. Job security was non-existent. The moment you failed to work excessive hours, you had a bulls eye painted on your back. Shortly, you would be gone. How much money did he need? More than he had. After money came the quest for power. The quest was insatiable. The man had no peace.
The love of money is also an issue for those without. Their focus is always on methods of extracting money from others. They envy those with money. They believe that they deserve money and will attempt to align themselves with those who have money, thinking that somehow the other person will simply give them some of their wealth… or the power to get wealth will rub off on them.
Yet others look for the “get rich quick” schemes hoping to receive a windfall of money. They are sucked in to the subtleness of greed. Their focus is switched from their calling to the scheme. The scheme typically keeps the person on the edge of their seat. The payday is always “soon” or “imminent”. Just before the payday, there will be an unexpected but plausible delay. The greed resident in the depths of the person’s ego will justify and rationalize out the delay in order to keep the belief alive. The end result is a delay in the person fulfilling his or her calling. If you can take the focus off of the calling, no fruit for the Kingdom will be produced. That is the goal of the adversary. Scam artists exploit this subtle form of greed to extract money from the unsuspecting people.
The Law established right and wrong behavior. It is a standard by which judgment can be properly administered. The Law in itself did not address “intent” but addressed behavior. In Jesus’ ministry, intent was clearly dealt with. Each of us knows our intent behind our actions. This is where the battle rages. As we seek to hear Our Heavenly Father’s Voice, we will align our intent with HIS Will, Plan, and Purpose. We will no longer be moved by the love of money. The church fathers such as Polycarp wrote often about the issue of the “love of money” and avarice in the church. The problem was notable in 130 AD just as it is today. The best way to deal with the love of money is to die to self. I suspect that the love of money will be one of the last things to actually go before that death is complete. Why? Because it is so subtle.
PS: Once you overcome the love of money and place your priority on your individual calling, Our Heavenly Father will insure you have sufficient resources to carry out your calling.