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The root of all evil

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 Jesus said that "the love of money is the root of all evil." It sure is a good thing that I don't love money.

It's impossible - I give too much of it away, after all. Recurring payments to church and charity. Examine my budget and giving statements - you'll see. My mailbox is full of prayer letters and ministry updates. I don't need to read them to know my donations are making an impact. And hey if you need support, just ask and I'll probably say yes. "Prayerful consideration" is just a euphemism others make for loving money (or not being as financially gifted by God as I am). Fortunately for me, "it's more blessed to give than receive", which is also why I give to the community without presenting my own needs.

Obviously, I can't give it all away. God called me to be a steward of resources. Jesus did tell the rich young ruler to give it all away and follow Him, but commentaries say that's a specific command to the rich young ruler, not a universal imperative. Look it up. Anyways, I give the firstfruit of my paycheck. Around 10%, post-tax and 401k, way more than the Evangelical average of 2.5%, and this doesn't even include my corporate matching! Christians should give more to God's work - the Church is rampant with greedy, money-loving people who really need to give more like me.

I'm a steward, detached from the love of money, which means God has called me to stay relatively wealthy to support the people who God actually called to sacrifice their livelihoods. You can think of me as the Dorcas to your Paul and Silas. I meditate gratefully on my salary and net worth because I'm so secure - financially security is an important testimony to others (#blessed). If I don't provide for my family, who will?! My personal comfort is only a distant side benefit for me, which I would give up in an instant if God called me to (He hasn't yet). And anyways, I'm glorifying God in my enjoyment of His gifts (Christian hedonism, as John Piper would say)!

God's entrusted me with funds for safekeeping and growth, which you better believe I'm not going to bury in the ground. By investing in the market, I'm investing in the kingdom. By investing in a house (an appreciating asset) to host Bible studies in an area with a good school district for my kids to grow up to make money to give to God, I'm investing in the kingdom. By investing in my career for promotions, bonuses, and raises, I'm investing in the kingdom. My discontent of my current salary is a righteous indignation on behalf of God, who I could give more to if my manager gave me a better rating.

It's a good thing I'm an informed investor (who, as a reminder, does not love money). Checking the market daily is key to the spiritual practice of smart investing, as are the podcasts I listen to and the news I follow. Chatting with others about the market activity daily is worshipful investing, doing my due diligence to make sure I don't miss out on important gains. Closely tracking GME, AMC, BTC, BA, Tesla is an hourly spiritual discipline God has called me to. Ultimately,  I do it all to serve God - if my portfolio does well, God gets more money! The more I make, the more I can give to God!

"The love of money is the root of all evil." Praise God I don't love money. 

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Location: California, USA

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