సత్యం… ధైర్యం…. ఆశీర్వచనం

Hebrew 13⁵ Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."  ⁶ So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? 

To the world money is everything. Whether it is comforts, status or even survival, man needs and depends on money. Without money it appears man is nothing.

But God’s Word tells us how to treat money. First of all it warns us of the danger of loving money.

It tells us to beware of greed because it is the root of all evil.

Matthew 6 ¹⁹ "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ²² "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.  ²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!  ²⁴ "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Firstly: The danger of loving money

When we love money it becomes our priority and our master. The result is it will dominate and dictate our decisions.

1 Timothy 6 ⁹ But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.  ¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

It appears that this is what made our parents Adam and Eve, eat the fruit that was forbidden by God. They had everything they needed. They could have remained grateful, content and obedient. But Satan tempted them o be greedy for something else they didn’t seem to have. He same scene is repeated each time

It leads to deceitfulness, dishonesty (lies being one of the most common form). Most people who love money are forced to compromise whether in their certificates or their accounts and their dealings. God tells us to be honest. And money tells us to be dishonest and we cannot serve two masters. And usually it the world and its wealth and pleasures that we see with our eyes that will get the better of us rather than God and His kingdom that we cannot see. It can also lead to fights and divisions, to pride and jealousy and various other evils. Look at Judas Iscariot and his end. Look at Ghehazi and his end.  That is the reason it is called idolatry, deceitful and it is called ungodly mammon.

Colossians 3⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Ephesians 5⁵ You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Our safety: contentment

Hebrews 13⁵ Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have.

The Word of God teaches us in the above passage that we should not love money and be greedy to get more, rather we should learn to be grateful to the One who has given us what we have and be content with what He has given us. Let us work hard and live honestly. And be thankful for what we earn with God’s grace. Let us in thanksgiving give a tenth of all that we earn to the Lord. Let us use what we need. And let us use the remaining as the Lord directs us. But in all of this don’t be greedy for accumulating wealth.

1 Timothy 6⁶ Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.  ⁷ After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it.  ⁸ So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Church let us pray to God and ask Him o teach us the danger of loving money and ask Him to help us give up this idolatry.

Secondly: False security in life

The main reason we love money is because it has power in this world. It meets our needs. It gives us respect before people. Money supplies our materialistic cravings and sometimes can help fulfill our sinful passions. And therefore money gives us a sense of security though it is not true. The root cause of greed is in one way the fear of the future. But is it really our security. God’s Word says…Luke 12¹⁵ Then he said, "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own."

The foolish rich man

Luke 12¹⁶ Then he told them a story: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.  ¹⁷ He said to himself, 'What should I do? I don't have room for all my crops.'  ¹⁸ Then he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  ¹⁹ And I'll sit back and say to myself, "My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!"'  ²⁰ "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?'  ²¹ "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

Looking at his wealth the rich man thought he would live for many years and did not prepare to meet God. His money could not prolong his life or save him. Look at the economic meltdown today. See the number of young people who pinned their hopes and future on the MNC’s and suddenly how insecure they have become.

That is why money is called uncertain. No guarantee.

1 Timothy 6¹⁷ Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable.

Proverbs 23⁴ Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.  ⁵ In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.

Matthew 6 ¹⁹ "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 

Lastly: Our true security

There is only one security in this whole world. That is God and His Word. It can never fail.

Hebrews 13⁵ Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."  ⁶ So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

God is saying He will never leave us nor forsake us. And we can trust Him only to be with us and give us what we need. The most important thing is to learn to be content with what God has given us and wait for Him to increase us. Only if we don’t believe God’s promise will we fret and look to other means.

Matthew 6²⁵ "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?  ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  ²⁸ "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing,  ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  ³¹ "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'  ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Don’t worry. Trust Him. Trust Him and ask Him for your daily bread.

Trust the one who loves you and created you and died for you and rose again.

Romans 8 ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?

Trust the one who owns the world. Trust the one who can supply all your need.

Psalm 34 ⁹ Fear the LORD, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.  ¹⁰ Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing.

Psalm 37 ¹⁶ It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.  ¹⁷ For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly.  ¹⁸ Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.  ¹⁹ They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough.

Trust the one who keeps His promise.

Philippians 4¹⁹ And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

let us believe God’s Word and walk in gratitude and contentment for what He has graciously given us. Let us always be thankful for what He has given us and be content knowing that this world is not our home. Let us beware of covetousness and the deceitfulness of riches and ungodly mammon. Let us always trust the Lord to be our provider.

Let us believe God to be with us always and let us confidently confess the same.

For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."  ⁶ So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

“In this life we can’t do Great things But we can do small things with great Love – Mother Theresa”