The Dangers of Wealth

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

In his exhortation to young Timothy as the new pastor of the church in Ephesus, Paul addresses the danger that comes from a life that pursues earthly treasures, rather than heavenly rewards. Ephesus was notorious for having a culture of profiteering from religiosity and Paul knew that this would have to be closely monitored in the hearts of the believers there. We know from the book of Acts that the whole city went into uproar when the economy of the silversmith trade was effected by the preaching of the gospel. Turning religion into profit was well ingrained into the minds of the people of Ephesus. Timothy would have to live out and teach a life of contentment and heaven mindedness and not allow the dangers of materialism to creep into the church.
The Holy Spirit teaches us here that money is the root causality for many of the evils that exist today. Chasing after money and wealth will eventually turn into a desire so deep and intense that Paul compares it here to the most passionate of emotions: love. Living comfortably is one thing, but to allow the love of money to grow so strong that it becomes a driving force in us, will almost certainly cause us to stray from our faith. The quest for more possessions will become a relentless and unquenchable pursuit of an impossible goal. Along the way we will compromise more and more of God's laws and allow our flesh to take control of our lives. The result will not be a life satisfied with all the wealth that has been accumulated, but a life of constant discontentment, as if tortured continuously. Today we would say that we are on pins and needles, rather than resting on God's promises of supplying all that is needed.
A good example is given by Jesus Himself when He tells us the story of Lazarus and the rich man. One is poor but has a love for God and the other rich with a love for wealth and the comforts of life. When both die, one ends up in the arms of Abraham, the other in unquenchable torment. One had a difficult life one earth with eternal rewards, the other a nice existence during his time alive with excruciating sufferings in hell until the end of time. And I doubt very much that the rich man had such a great time on earth maintaining his wealth compared to the godly life that Lazarus enjoyed.
God is good. He wants what is best for us and He alone knows what that is. When asked what the greatest commandments are, Jesus replies in Mark chapter 12 verse 30 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." It is the love of God that wants us to have a peaceful life by loving God, not money. One will lead to peace, joy and hope, while the other to evil and sorrows. To love money will lead us away from God, to love God will lead us to Him. Like Lazarus, God wants us to have a life of fellowship with Him, whether on earth or in eternity. He wants us in His ever-loving arms, so that He can take care of us like the good Father that He is.

Application
Unlike the rich young ruler that confidently came to Jesus and left discouraged because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions I want to be at a place in my life that I can truly say that I have given up all other pursuits in my life but the one that counts: to love God. Therefore today I confess that I have not tithed faithfully and will ask my wife to hold me accountable in this area of my life.