The reward for humility and fearing the LORD is riches and honor and life.
(Proverbs 22:4)
Although money is necessary for survival, the pursuit of wealth, in and of itself, can lead to spiritual bankruptcy. The “good life” is never quite good enough and the acquisition of more and more never leads to contentment. The love of money is wrong because we come to trust money, rather than God, to solve our problems and our wealth, Solomon says, becomes our “fortified city” as we become entrapped by the mistaken belief that money is the answer to all difficulties. That is, wealth allows one to become more self-reliant and less dependent upon God and others. Materialism may become one opiate by which one dulls the pain of emptiness, and feelings of inferiority. Materialism is also a pathetically poor substitute for meaningful relationships. Our money should be used as a means of service, a way for helping less fortunate others.
Money can represent the pride of self-effort where the pride of accomplishment blinds one to the real source of blessing. Amassing wealth for ourselves, no matter how much we make, becomes a barrier between God and us. Is this a barrier for you? What are the most important things to you? Do you think and worry about money frequently? Are you sacrificing relationships to make more money? Is it hard for you to give money away to charities or those in need? Are you currently in debt? How much money will it take to make you happy?