Money Is The Root Of All Evil Series

“Why don’t you fish longer to catch more fish?”

“This is all the fish I need to sell to support my family.”

“What do you do with the rest of your time?” The man asked.

“Oh, I’m a busy man, senior. I sleep late, fish awhile, and then I go home and have lunch with my wife, Maria. I take a siesta. Then I play with my children. After dinner I play my guitar with my amigos.”

“I could tell you how to make more money. Tuna is a hot commodity now. Just fish longer and you could make enough profit to buy a new, bigger boat. Then you could buy a fleet of boats. Then with your profits you could open your own fishing processing plant to supply LA.”

“How long will this take, senior?”

“Oh, probably, 20-30 years” replied the expert.

“Then what?” The fisherman asked.

“Then you could open your own office in LA and supply other cities. Eventually, you could open other offices. And when you’re going strong, then you announce an IPO and take your company public. You would make millions.”

“Then what would I do?” The fisherman asked.

“Then, my friend, you’d be set for life. You could retire to a coastal village sleep late, fish a little, have lunch with your wife, take a siesta, and play your guitar with your amigos.”

So why do people really make themselves sick working so hard to get ahead when the Bible says it’s like chasing the wind? It’s because they have a chronic love for money and the things money can buy. Learning to be content is the antidote to this poisonous sickness.

Now the Bible says we should always be growing to become more like Jesus, so we should never be content in who we are–God started a good work in us and He’ll keep on working on us until the Day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) This passage is talking about being content with what we have. The main question I put before you today is: Are you content with what you have? If you are, you are a rich person, indeed.

2. Only a relationship with Jesus will fully satisfy you

Are you content? Are you satisfied? Years ago I read the autobiography of Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace. In 1942 he was on a plane that ditched in the South Pacific. He and six other men floated on a raft three weeks before rescuers found them. After the emergency water was gone, they were consumed with thirst. They were surrounded by millions of gallons of water–but unable to drink. On the 13th day, one of the men named Alex couldn’t stand it any longer and began to drink the salt water–they tried to stop him, but he forced the water into his parched mouth. His thirst was quenched momentarily, but then his thirst returned worst than before–Alex soon died. Drinking saltwater doesn’t quench your thirst, it intensifies it.

A lust for money and possession obsession is like drinking seawater. You’re never satisfied. You’ll only want more, and it will soon destroy your life in one way or another.

CONCLUSION

Get it straight. Is money the root of all evil? Of course not. Is the love of money, the root of all evil? Not really, The Bible says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Because if you love money, you can’t love God. Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters. He will love one and hate the other. You can’t love God and money.”