It's good i got a reply from you, the reason i post on this site is for help.
Tell me what the love of money is? The lost need a fast explanation and sometimes they need it real simple.
Gave a number of descriptive examples. The Miser loves money, and loves to see it grow. The Spendthrift loves the aspect of money that gets him anything he wants. If we love money more than anything in life, we may have much or spend much, but still be DESTITUTE of what really matters in the end.
Avid said:
... I read (40 years ago) of a pitiful old woman who died. She was determined to have sucumbed to malnutrition. In her house or apartment were found (by those investigating her death and handling her final affairs) a few safe deposit box keys. In those safe deposit boxes were found a total of more than $800,000. For comparison, in today's money that could be $10 million (more or less.)
That person loved money more than life itself. It is clear that people seek and love money as a sin when there is much that can be done with money, while NOT indulging in sin. We can work a job, and save for hard times or retirement, and not LOVE that money. However, the love of money typically takes over, and people find themselves craving more.
The Miser and the Spendthrift are equally fixated on money as an object of their affection. One is not better than the other. It is very difficult for either to let go that which their affections have latched upon, and which their lusts have craved...
When estimating the value of anything, we see that some things are useful in certain situations and others are not. One may have 200 pairs of shoes, "...so I'll be ready for ANY occasion," but may not even include a pair of work boots, or hiking boots. The person next to her walkingaway from a disaster area may have Only two pair of shoes, one for Church, and the other WALKING SHOES. Instead of having spent that small fortune on shoes that are now ruined, and not suitable for anything, the person has some supplies to carry along that were protected and accessible when disaster hit.
In the grand scheme of things, the world sees a value on MONEY (Dollar Bills, etc.,) as a store of wealth. In economic hard times, that may help, unless there is hyperinflation, and the paper money is not as valuable as so much toilet paper. In those times, it may be a better thing to have what people actually want and need. This means it may be better to have something to barter with, than a pile of worthless paper money.
In the Weimar Republic of Germany, inflation took root in 1914 with WWI. Not wanting to raise taxes, the German government printed banknotes. Inflation was at a very high rate. Many stories are told about how bad it got.
This hyperinflation ran about nine years until the currency was totally worthless. The 10 Mark note gave way to the 100 Mark note, then to the 1,000 Mark note, and so on... This escalated till the 1 Million Mark note gave way to the 10 Million Mark note. It got so bad that, at one point, just one pound of bread cost 3 billion German Marks.
It matters what you put your trust in. If you trust in riches of this world, and the currency they use as money, they can take it all from you in a short time. Even now, INFLATION is a tax on EVERYONE that uses the currency that is inflating. If you lay up riches in Heaven, these riches are out of the reach or RUST, MOTHS and THIEVES.
Matthew 6
19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
This man was not WRONG to have a bumper crop. He was not WRONG to provide for the future. What was WRONG was how he thought to keep it all for himself, while other people around him were hungry and in need. This was more than he could use, and even more than he could store! God had blessed him so he could bless others, and give God the glory.
Seek the way to be rich in things that matter in eternity, and trust the LORD to sustain you in this life.
