I am sorry for starting with a joke! But it’s Saturday!
An old miser, due to his terrible cheapness, had no friends nor family. Just before he died he called his doctor, his lawyer and a minister to come see him. They complied, and gathered together around his bed. “I always heard you can’t take it with you, but I am going to prove you can,” he said. “I have £90,000 cash hidden underneath my mattress. It’s in 3 envelopes of £30,000 each. I want each one of you to grab one envelope now and just before they throw the dirt on my grave, you throw the envelopes in.” Weeks later, the three attended the funeral, and true to their word, each threw in their envelope into the grave. On the way back from the cemetery, the minister said, “I don’t feel so good about this, I am going to confess, I desperately needed £10,000 for a new church we are building, so I took out £10,000 and threw only £20,000 in the grave.” The doctor said, “I, too, must confess. I am building a clinic and took £20,000 and threw in only £10,000.” He looked ashamed. The lawyer said, “Gentlemen, I’m surprised, shocked and ashamed of both of you. I don’t see how you could in good conscience hold on to that money. I threw in a personal cheque for the entire amount.”
We are born empty-handed and we die empty-handed. Paul knew this and he declares a sobering truth:
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6 v 7-10)
In a world obsessed with accumulating wealth, status symbols, and material possessions, these four verses from Paul’s letter to Timothy cut through the noise like a sword.
If everything we own is temporary, how much energy should we really invest in accumulating more?
Contentment is not settling for less; it’s recognising when we have enough.
The pursuit of wealth creates opportunities for compromise. How many people have cut ethical corners, neglected relationships, or abandoned their values in the name of financial gain?
The love of money breeds other destructive appetites—for power, recognition, control, and pleasure. These desires often lead us away from what truly satisfies the human soul.
Ultimately, the relentless pursuit of wealth can destroy not just our finances, but our relationships, our integrity, and our spiritual lives.
Perhaps the most misquoted verse in this passage is verse 10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Notice Paul doesn’t say money itself is evil, but rather the love of money. The Greek word used here suggests an intense affection or desire—making money an idol.
When we love money, it becomes our master rather than our tool. It shapes our decisions, priorities, and relationships. It promises security, significance, and satisfaction—but these are promises only God can truly fulfil.
Paul notes that some, “eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” The imagery is striking: people impaling themselves with sorrows in their pursuit of wealth. The very thing they thought would bring happiness becomes the source of their deepest pain.
We entered this world with nothing, and we’ll leave with nothing. But in between, we have the opportunity to find true contentment not in what we accumulate, but in the One who provides all that we truly need.
Missions Paul 