Is Money Evil?

by Kelvin Wong 

Money seems to be one of the taboo subjects hardly discussed among family and friends. Even married couples tend to shun the money subject because it is deemed to be “sensitive.” I’ve often heard people saying, “Money destroys marriages!” “Money destroys lives!” “Money is the root of all evil!” However, I beg to differ. I believe with absolute certainty that money is NOT the root of all evil. More often than not, it is the lack of money that destroys marriages and lives!

Money is just a medium of exchange and has no power in itself. Can your money in the bank do evil things when left alone? Of course not! It can only earn you interest, no matter how little the amount of interest can be these days. Money is completely amoral. It is neither good nor evil. Let's taking a knife as an example. Is the knife good or evil? If I use the knife to cut fruits for the family to eat, then the knife becomes a tool for good. But if I take the same knife to kill someone, it would then become an instrument of evil! Again the knife is amoral, neither good nor evil. The same applies for money. If I use $5,000 to buy cocaine, the money is used for evil. However, if I spend the $5,000 for a holiday with my family, the money has then brought about good by facilitating family bonding.

In 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV), the Scripture says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Did the Bible say that money is the root of all evil? Absolutely not! What the Scripture really says is that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil, not money itself. Therefore, it is not the money but the person behind the money that determines its characteristics. If you’re a righteous person, you’ll put the money to good use. If you’re wicked, you’ll probably use the money for evil purposes.

We need to understand that the world cannot function without money. Everybody needs money to buy food, pay mortgages, pay for utilities, pay for your children’s education, pay medical bills and the lists go on. As the saying of Zig Ziglar goes, "Money is not everything but it ranks right up there with oxygen." Therefore, money is important and plays a significant role in our lives.

God wants us to be a good steward of our finances and use the money to advance the work of His kingdom. It takes money to feed the poor, print Bibles, set up churches and send missionaries to other parts of the world. God desires to bless us richly so that we can be a blessing to others. Are you ready to become a better steward of your God-given resources?

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