Money is a weapon that the enemy uses to pull down Christians and pervert the Gospel.
It is very important for believers to understand that money is a good servant but a very bad master.
The sad reality is that many preachers are becoming more interested in acquiring wealth than they are in winning souls. Messages in many churches today are focused on prosperity while Christian living and righteousness are thrown to the wind.
The prosperity theology, which is gaining ground in many churches these days, is becoming very attractive especially among African Christians because it promises better lives to worshipers who are impoverished and lack basic necessities. Jesus in the book of Matthew 6:24 said to the disciples, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon in the Bible means riches that have debasing influence on the worship of God. It is an object of worship itself. It aims to enslave souls of Christian men and women without them knowing that they have been hijacked by the devil.
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The interesting part in Jesus’ statement is that one would have expected that he would’ve used the word “devil” instead of “Mammon.” Why does Jesus do that? Because the devil isn’t as attractive as money is. When faced with the common temptation to choose between God and wealth, many choose the latter. “The love of money is the root of all evil; while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
Money has a great spiritual influence in our lives and can easily distort our relationship with God Himself. Why? Because many judge spiritual maturity and righteousness by how much material prosperity one has. The rich in some churches are given special seats and are treated as God’s favorites while the poor are marginalized.
It is important to note that money by itself does not cause harm to Christians. It is the love for money that is the root of all manners of evil. The danger is not having money but in loving it. Whatever you love in this world is the thing you worship. For us to avoid loving money, we must be heavenly-minded with the understanding that the things of this world are ephemeral.
“But you, man of God, flee these things; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). Paul admonished Timothy to reject worldly pursuit and channel all his spiritual energy on God’s virtue. When we focus on things above, we think less of worldly things. Our spiritual orientation determines how we worship God and how we respond to world temptations. Let’s not forget who has our hearts. Mammon, at the end of the day, can’t compete with Jesus.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
