“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1 Timothy 6:10

The self-storage unit industry is big business in the United States. 

It generates approximately $36 billion in revenue. With over 49,000 units in the US, it boasts more locations than Starbucks and McDonald’s combined and employs more than 170,000 people.

Maybe that’s surprising to you, but probably not – chances are you pass at least one of these businesses on a weekly or even daily basis. The reason there are so many is simple – we have more and more stuff. And we have more and more stuff because it is the nature of life to accumulate. As we grow older, we accumulate more and more furniture, knick-knacks, and, in most cases, money. 

I’m not trying to debate the self-storage industry, though, but rather to talk about our habit of accumulation. Specifically, to talk about what we use to pay for all that stuff…money. While it might be the natural order of things to have more and more money as you progress through life, that also means there is a greater and greater danger to our souls as we get older. Because money can be dangerous. Not necessarily bad in and of itself, but dangerous nonetheless. 

Read the rest of Paul’s warning to Timothy:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10

It’s that last line that should make us especially cautious. Because the love of money is a lure that has caused many to wander away from the faith. 

But why? Why does money have the potential to make us wander from the faith?

Here are four reasons:

1. Money creates residents rather than pilgrims.
When we come into Christ, we are made new. Brand new. With new tastes, desires, a new family, and a new home. According to the New Testament, we are pilgrims – temporary residents in this world with a sure and certain citizenship in another kingdom. (1 Chronicles 29:15) The more money we have, the more comfortably we live. Beware, Christian, for money makes us all very comfortable. Money makes us forget our true and lasting home.

2. Money enhances our need for self-protection.
When you have more, you become more invested in protecting what you have. You spend an increased amount of resources, energy, and emotion devoted to making sure you keep what you’ve obtained. You, therefore, become less willing to sacrifice and take risks for the sake of the gospel and the kingdom. Money, whether we want to admit it or not, dramatically alters our priorities over the course of time.

3. Money provides competing avenues for satisfaction.
Money = access. Access to entertainment, access to luxury, access to all kinds of things. And the more access we have to things, the more we will tend to find our satisfaction in those things. When we have all kinds of avenues to pursue pleasure. Then we find our joy and satisfaction in avenues other than Jesus.

4. Money bolsters our self-sufficiency.
The more money we have, the safer we tend to feel. And that sense of security is very, very appealing. But the security we are meant to find as Christians shouldn’t be in our bank accounts or 401K’s. It should be in Christ and Him alone. The more money we have, the more we look to those resources for that security; in that, we become less reliant on Jesus. 

Friends, we will accumulate. But as we do, let’s be careful to keep our focus on what will last into eternity.

Written by Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor

DIG DEEPER
Read “What’s Your Attitude Toward Money?” by Bryant Wright